Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One thing that we can all agree upon, is that the holidays can be quite the emotional and powerful time for each and every one of us. Because the holiday season at its core, is a time of reflection. Since it forces us to think about all of the relationships in our lives and what those parties deserve as a gift so we can bring them proper joy and of course… being around friends and family during this season… prompts our minds to think upon the journey we’ve endured, and where we are at, and where we might be headed. Which is where the emotion comes from. Because it is overwhelming to feel all that love, and sometimes… that level of reflection can force us to focus on the negative realities of the season and our lives as well.
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For there are people we’ve lost along the way that we can’t share the wonder of the holidays with, and that hurts and of course… life is hard. It beats us down, it challenges us far more often than we care for it to and that negative line of thinking, can put us in a tough place during the season. Since it forces us to also ponder upon our failures and the things we haven’t accomplished yet. Which in many ways, leaves one to wonder, why we should even bother to celebrate the holidays or even think about them if they can potentially bring us nothing but heartbreak and weigh us down. But the fact of the matter is, facing the good and the bad during this season is essential to finding joy or to improving our lives, and if by chance we need help in doing so, storytelling can aid us in sorting out these overwhelming thoughts, as evidenced by the upcoming Apple TV+ holiday special, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

A feat that this story (based upon Charlie Mackesy's book of the same name) accomplishes by plunging us into a unique winter world, where the Boy wanders through the countryside, and he is simply… lost and looking for a home, all alone. But soon… he encounters the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, a group of intelligent animals that seemingly have no business hanging out with the Boy, much less together, But they too are searching, for more out of life, and they deem it best to follow a nearby river to try and find the Boy the home he seeks and what they crave and what follows… is a stunningly moving story that explores the hardships of life and how they weigh upon us. For each character here represents a unique aspect of life and the challenges that come with it and once that is revealed to the viewer, does the true wonder, and magic, of this holiday story come to life.

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For it quickly becomes apparent that this is a grandiose ride through our struggles. The pain we encounter regarding our failures, our losses, our believed shortcomings and how hard it is at times to chase our dreams and goals, and the why behind presenting that in a holiday special is quite powerful. Because it is designed to take the viewer to task, through surprise… since you’re not expecting to run into such musings in a special. But doing so is all part of a wonderfully layered plan to task us to reflect upon our pain and acknowledge and feel it… so we can see it objectively. For when we do so, we see how our hardships have done more for us than we know, and how that pain has pushed us to be more and be better and has brought us closer to what we want than we’ve ever known. 
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Not to mention, it has a lot to say about the real gifts that the holiday season provides us with. For it is easy to get lost in the gift giving and the hustle and bustle that accompanies it. When in fact, those gifts are less about cost and less about joy and relate to meaning. Specifically, how family and the family we choose are genuine gifts to us. Since they lift us up and love us and nurture us. For, we are the gift to them, and that’s important to recognize, as is the sheer fact that life itself… is the greatest gift of all. For to be on this planet, breathing and thriving is truly something to behold, and enjoying the journey and the stunning moments it sends our way both good and bad, are special presents indeed and worth cherishing.

If anything, all of these elements… make this a perfect holiday special. Because not only does it present us with a beautiful and sweeping story that perfectly embraces the look and feel of the season, but it accomplishes exactly what you want from a holiday special. In that, it forces us to take a moment, and use this time, to objectively look at our sometimes overwhelming and stifling lives… so we can see how far we’ve come, and above all, to remind us to cherish what we’ve been given and lean upon it in our hour of need, and thankfully… you need not wait much longer to experience this moving and beautiful holiday special. For The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse makes its debut on Christmas Day on Apple TV+, and we at NTG hope you give it a look. To have your spirits lifted on a day when you’re surrounded by everything and everyone, you’ve ever needed.

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