M: BEYOND THE WASTELAND (2023)

4 stars

GrimmVision. Digital. 10th November

Whilst M: BEYOND THE WASTELAND is a zombie apocalypse movie (sorry if that is a spoiler but it’s in the trailer), that is, for the most part, just in the background to this beautifully pitched story of about a young boy Marko (Matej Sivakov) and his frightened, depressed and stressed father (Sasko Kocev) – trying to teach his young son the skills to survive in this uncertain world. Through the use of a storybook, about a Leaf Child and the Enchanted Forest, he has built an almost fantasy world for the boy, as they eke out a living deep in the remote woods, away from any civilisation that still exists.

Then one day Marko finds a rusty old RV in amongst the trees – inside he meets Miko, a boy with learning difficulties, and eventually meets his mum too. He keeps this secret from his father, as he knows he will be angry about it.

Later the youngster is upset when he watches a video he shouldn’t have and also sees his father do something that shatters his trust in his protector. Marko decides to run away from home with his new friend… out into a world outside of the forest, setting off on a quest, like in his fairytale book.

Originating from Macedonia (the dialogue is in both Macedonian and some English), this is an interesting variation on the overworked zombies genre – in this case they were created by a virus. Well acted, especially by Sivakov as Marko in a quietly effective, sad faced performance. The cinematography by Vladimir Samoilovski captures the beauty of the setting, giving it an appropriate fairytale like air with the light streaming through the trees. Director Vardan Tozija, working from a script by him and Darijan Pejovski, has made a measured and at times poignant film which mixes reality in with the boy’s fantasy world. It has a lilting music score by Nathanaël Bergese.

Steve Kirkham