‘Wild Horse Nine’ is a Poignant Look at Friendship, While Also a Blast
Five films in, director Martin McDonagh has returned to the well of male friendship once again. Luckily, he’s really good at it. His latest film, Wild Horse Nine, proves once again he understands the irreverent humor of male relationships while delivering an entertaining and surprisingly sensitive narrative.
If In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and The Banshees of Inisherin have proven anything, it’s McDonagh’s grasp of punchy banter with a healthy dose of not taking himself too seriously. This is a film that can absolutely be dug into for deep thematic resonance. That being said, if you don’t care about all that and just want to have a good time at a movie, this hits that spot too. It’s the perfect nadir between critics and audiences.
[Warning: spoilers from Wild Horse Nine are below!]
Fast dialogue and charismatic actors in this Martin McDonagh film
John Malkovich stars as Chris Carlisle, a veteran CIA officer working alongside his longtime partner and friend Lee Chesterfield (Sam Rockwell). As the pair make preparations for the Chilean coup of 1973, their CIA bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi) sends them to Easter Island. Lee must constantly babysit Chris, who is dying of cancer and beginning to show signs of dementia. Lee updates his boozy and philandering wife Marge (Parker Posey) on their activities.
Chris befriends Chilean students Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailín Salas), saying far too much about his activities. As Chris and Lee explore the island’s iconic statues, Chris dictates his life memoirs to a tape recorder. MJ pushes Lee to understand Chris’ secrets while Lee wrestles with how to deal with the little time Chris has left.
As is McDonagh’s trademark, he employs offbeat but charismatic actors to deliver fast-paced diatribes while the characters are mostly unredeemable. How he is able to consistently have these characters do and say bad things without ever alienating the audience is truly remarkable. Rockwell, in his third collaboration with McDonagh, understands this dynamic perfectly, while Malkovich also matches this energy.
The filmmaker has this fun trick where everything plot-wise is pretty well scoped out early on. There are no red herrings or massive surprises. The film plants a few small seeds, and you get a pretty good understanding of what is going to happen, and it does happen very close to that expectation. But it’s not about the end result; it’s about how these characters end up at that conclusion and the fun we had watching it along the way.
Final thoughts on Wild Horse Nine
Malkovich and Rockwell’s chemistry and energy propel the entire film forward. Inside jokes, knowing glances, and a complementary style is a great credit to each actor’s ability and preparation. Malkovich has his best role in years, getting to bounce between a silly grandpa, the stern assassin, and a self-aware doomed soul. The actor never sets a foot in the wrong direction and is immensely watchable. Rockwell leans into his cool charisma, but employs a level of intelligent annoyance to Malkovich’s unpredictability. Some of the film’s biggest laughs come from Rockwell’s reactions to Malkovich’s insanity.
Buscemi is absent for much of the film, but is always a delight when he shows up on screen. Di Girolamo is radiant as the naive but headstrong Monica, providing Malkovich with a counter partner to banter with. She delivers on some of the film’s most emotional moments apart from the central pair. Tom Waits shows up for one incredible scene for a phone call with Malkovich’s character, which may be the scene of the whole film.
Wild Horse Nine may be a bit of a retread of Martin McDonagh’s previous films, but I was never anything less than completely entertained by Malkovich, Rockwell, and the heads of Easter Island. Dig in on the themes, or sit back and enjoy yourself. It works either way.
Wild Horse Nine is currently in theaters! Are you planning on seeing this film? Are you excited to see John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell together on screen? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to keep the conversation going!
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