[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.]Owen Teague’s Noa andFreya Allan’s Mae go through a lot together inKingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Noa begins the film a blank slate, essentially. He’s grown up entirely in the confines of Eagle Clan, with no exposure to the outside world. Then, suddenly, his village is invaded and decimated, and he’s forced to team up with a human to get his loved ones back, a human who completely changes his understanding of the state of the world, and the dynamic between ape and humankind.
As for Mae (Allan), at the start of the film, she’s alone and seemingly traumatized. And if you roll with the backstory Allan developed for the character, she has good reason to be. “Her parents went out on the same mission, and so I constantly held that with me. And they died. Or they never came back.” She also added, “I held onto this thing that she had some kind of love interest who was in her group, and they all died, and Proximus killed them.” Similar to Noa, she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to team up with a being she and her people considered “other,” and dangerous — an ape. Specifically, Noa.
Does Mae Ever Trust Noa?
Throughout the film, there are numerous instances when it’s abundantly clear that partnership is essential. One of the most notable of the bunch? When Mae opts to call out for Noa in an attempt to evade Sylva (Eka Darville).
Is Mae turning to Noa at that moment a sign of true trust? Allan shared her thoughts during our recentCollider Ladies Nightinterview:
“Yes, there’s a level of trust. I think in that moment when she calls his name, she hasn’t really got another choice. She’s either gonna get caught by that ape, or she’s gonna signal that ape to come get her. [She’s] screaming [his] name, so yes, there is a level of trust, or at least blind faith. She has to. She hasn’t got any other options, basically, but to call his name, right?”
While that moment of desperation may contribute to bridging the gap between Mae and Noa, the two still have a lot of reassessing to do, given they both had completely different understandings of the other species prior to meeting. As Allan put it, “I think she’s still figuring him out and figuring out the fact that he’s challenging everything she’s ever known about apes.”
Mae Is Scared of Noa’s Intelligence
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Even after everything the pair go through inKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, in the end, Mae still hasn’t fully wrapped her head around the truth about the ape population. When asked about the gun she conceals when reconnecting with Noa at the end of the film, Allan explained:
“I think at the end of the movie, I think she’s scared of his intelligence. She’s been shocked at their intelligence and how similar they are to humans, and soI think at the end of the movie it’s about her looking at someone who she’s afraid of, and I think Noa similarly feels the same. It’s like, ‘What are we going to do to each other? Are we going to see those similarities and become like this [clasps hands], or not?’ I think it’s that unfortunate friendship, but then I think she obviously has a level of guilt because of the things that she’s done. And I think she knows that, inevitably, this whole story has kind of been one giant example of what their relationship is, which is unfortunately one that is going to be — there’s like a lingering doom.”
While that “lingering doom” is unnerving to say the least, it’s also got a touch of sadness to it courtesy of the better moments between Mae and Noa. Here’s how Allan described it; “At the same time, it’s sad because you can see that there’s a care there, but it’s like a toxic relationship.”
Looking for even more from Allan onKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and some discussion of what to expect fromThe WitcherSeason 4? Check out Allan’s full Collider Ladies Night interview below:
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing in theaters nationwide. Click below for showtimes.
