One of the best sci-fi moments is hidden in Planet of the Apes 4. It lasts a few seconds and changes everything

Although the first Planet of the Apes film ended with one of the biggest twists in film history, the reboot series initiated by Planet of the Apes: Prevolution has said goodbye to the story to be turned upside down at the last minute. No wonder: how can you top the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty, which reveals that we were on Earth all along and not on an alien planet?

Instead, the new Planet of the Apes films tell the collapse of human civilization in chronological order. We are in the latest part, Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom 300 years in the future, where the monkeys have taken over the reigns on Earth. The ending is particularly strong: there isn’t a big twist here, but there is still a moment that takes your breath away.

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In Planet of the Apes 4, mistrust between apes and humans is spread with every subsequent scene

Following the conclusion of the Caesar trilogy, Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom introduces us to a new main character: Noa (Owen Teague). The young chimpanzee grows up in a small village and makes his way through ruins overgrown with plants of the old world. This carefree life ends suddenly when his tribe is attacked by monkeys who are on the move on behalf of the villain Proximus (Kevin Durand).

You can watch the trailer for Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom here:

Black smoke heralds the destruction of the peaceful place. While searching for his abducted friends, Noa runs into someone: Mae (Freya Allan). Can he trust her? In Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom, after years of murder and manslaughter, reigns supreme great distrust between species. But Mae seems so helpless – unlike Noa, she can’t even speak properly.

Unlikely allies: An unspoken bond develops between Noa and Mae before Proximus appears as a manipulative force. Not only does the dictatorial bonobo twist Caesar’s teachings to his own advantage, he divides the apes, which he forcibly gathers around him, and plays them off against each other. He also sows discord among Noa and Mae in order to strengthen his own supremacy.

However, he’s not the only one who consciously uses words to get what he wants. As it turns out, Mae didn’t tell Noah the whole truth about herself either. Her character resembles a living twist that is carefully revealed step by step in the film. Mae can speak and is on an important mission for a group of people who have retreated underground.

Freya Allen’s Mae is much more sinister and unpredictable than Planet of the Apes 4 villain Proximus

Although at first glance New Kingdom has little of the depth of its predecessors and leans more into the playful adventure aspects of the story, the film breaks with Mae’s character development unexpected abysses and asks questions that are not so easy to answer. Just like Noa, she has had a series of traumatic experiences that determine her actions.

The difference is: Noa’s pain doesn’t lead to questionable decisions. He is the honest hero of the film and has fewer obstacles thrown in his way by the script than Mae, who falls in love with him gloomy reflection In order to save her own tribe, the humans, she accepts the death of countless (and innocent) apes by flooding the bunker from which Proximus wants to steal military equipment.

Was that her plan from the start? Or just a last-minute emergency act to prevent an even worse catastrophe? With the hope that one day Noa will understand her motives if he survives. Mae takes on the role of both the victim and the perpetrator. This ambivalence makes the character extremely exciting, especially because the film doesn’t formulate many of her scenes very clearly.

The best moment only lasts a few seconds: at the very end, when Noa and Mae run into each other again and the signs are hesitantly pointing towards reconciliation, a short shot reveals that they a gun behind her back holds. She is afraid of Noa, afraid that he wants revenge. Because he has every reason to. Is peaceful coexistence between monkeys and humans really no longer possible?

Can humans and monkeys ever get along again? Planet of the Apes 4 is very, very skeptical

Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom discusses this question for two and a half hours. Will humans and apes succeed in getting closer to one another, or are the wounds left by the past 300 years too deep? Even though Noa and Mae are going through hell, they balance when it comes to trust on the narrowest ridge, which leads through the post-apocalypse. They could fall into the depths at any moment.

New Kingdom initially seems very transparent. Last but not least, the fronts seem to be clearly divided, as Proximus is a villain that everyone can agree on. But this black and white apocalyptic painting would be too simple for a Planet of the Apes film. Mae sneaks in as secret resistance in the film and right when the gun flashes behind her back, the entire planet shakes.

A stab to the heart of the hopeful that makes us tremble and question previous events. Even though Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom attempts in its final minutes to ignite the spark of curiosity and discovery for the next trilogy, this brief moment that resonates well into the credits – that unfinished stab in the back – the most exciting promise for the future of the series.

Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom has been running since May 8, 2024 in German cinemas.