As the Paris Olympics drew to a close this year, thousands of plans formed on social media, with those who could barely run a mile wondering what would be their best shot at getting into the Olympic village in four years’ time. Breakdancing didn’t look too hard; perhaps air-rifle shooting? But the consensus seemed to be that the dream gig was equestrianism, where the fancy horses do most of the work and the medallists are all heiresses, aristocrats or children of rock legends. You would just have to win the lottery first.
Unfortunately for the budding Olympian Jolie Dumont (Kaya Coleman) in Prime Video’s drama Beyond Black Beauty, she is experiencing a reversal of fortune. Her opulent life in Belgium, complete with a gorgeous top-tier horse, comes to an abrupt end when her parents split and her mother (Sagine Sémajuste) sells her beloved steed and moves them back to her middle-class home in Baltimore. It’s down to Jolie to keep her dream alive and adjust to a new life in which she sticks out like a sore thumb at school, but is able to find purpose training the wild horse Black Beauty.
In case it was not already clear, this series is loosely based on Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel, which was told from the horse’s point of view and ignited a passion for the animals in many a child’s heart. This story is told from the perspective of a human, but it still offers an interesting twist on a familiar tale. The wild west was filled with Black cowboys and – while there aren’t many Black equestrians on the Olympic podium – this shines a light on little-shown African American horse culture.
The show is competently shot; the sense of freedom and strength Jolie and the other characters find on horseback is conveyed elegantly. But it is frequently let down by its flat, subtext-free dialogue. Family members speak to each other in melodramatic monologues that they seem to be projecting for the audience at the back of the room, most of which end with a hug.
Its saccharine cosiness drains the tension out of even the more dramatic arcs; knife-wielding bullies and gangs prove largely innocuous. The real shame is that, despite its featherlight approach, it is also humourless. Even the punchlines for Jolie’s witty cousin Ronnie (Gina James) are set up so poorly that they barely register.
The show asks us to invest in the relationship between Jolie and her father (Gilles Marini), a financier, even though it hangs on little more than the opening scene, in which he reads her Sewell’s novel. He is a one‑note character; although Jolie purports to miss him, she seems to long more for her previous life and the trappings of wealth. This she demonstrates via a series of ornate headbands, to differentiate herself from the other girls at school.
Her mother is less tied to the past (although she still wears designer belt buckles). It is unclear whether she truly loved her husband or just wanted to escape life in Baltimore. While she outwardly supports her daughter, their relationship is increasingly mystifying; she looks a plethora of gift horses in the mouth when an opportunity for Jolie to get back on track as an Olympian arises.
The actors do their best to sell deep emotions – by staring off into the middle distance while melancholy piano music plays. It is all so unsubtle that the bonds between the various mother and daughter pairings feel shallow. Coleman is the most compelling of the bunch, but she does her best work when bonding with a four-legged pal, not a family member.
Even though it is clumsy and insipid – and its portrayal of European grandeur is more Disneyland Paris than Brideshead Revisited – it is hard to resent this show. Its heart is in the right place, aimed at inspiring children to follow their dreams. There are plenty of sweet equine moments that may well inspire younger viewers to find a purpose in horse riding, caring for animals or devoting themselves to a sport. It’s just a shame that the destination is far more interesting than the journey. Watching Beyond Black Beauty doesn’t ever prove as fun as plotting your own fantastical route to the Olympic village.
• Beyond Black Beauty is on Prime Video
