‘Wild Horse Nine’ – Heartland International Film Review

When I talk about filmmakers who have never disappointed me, writer/director Martin McDonagh always comes in clutch. Though the acclaimed Irish director has made only five films over almost two decades, his track record is consistently amazing and highly influential in how he presents his characters and delivers some of the best dialogue, on par with Quentin Tarantino, that always speaks to me. In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin (my personal favorite) are all great in their own right. So when his fifth feature film, Wild Horse Nine, was announced, how could I not expect another hit? All the hallmark traits one expects from his unique brand of dark comedy are definitely here—and more—making his latest film a showcase for an entertaining ride that perfectly balances dark hilarity with surprising emotion. As a result, Wild Horse Nine is a must-see.

What’s the Story: In 1973, Chile elected its first Democratic Socialist President, Salvador Allende. In Santiago, two CIA agents—Chris Carlisle (John Malkovich), a long-time field veteran, and Lee Chesterfield (Sam Rockwell), his protégé and friend for years—are part of the government coup that led to the President’s rise to power. Before this historic event hits in September, their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi), orders the two to take a vacation to Easter Island. While Chris believes they’re here to enjoy the big head statues (Moai), Lee’s accompaniment is to make sure that he doesn’t spill any of the government secrets to the local tourists, since Chris is known to be overly talkative—all while he’s secretly dying from terminal cancer and doesn’t have that long to live.

Wild Horse Nine shares DNA with In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, since we’re following an odd-couple friendship that puts them on the verge of redemption. At first, it sounded almost repetitive for Martin McDonagh to do it again, just in a different location that gives it gravitas. Ben Davis’s cinematography made me want to visit there. Yet, as the film goes on, it’s easy to forgive it once we learn how unique these two are, and I love how the characters’ motivations are usually unclear until the very end. As always, McDonagh’s screenplay keeps that snappy dialogue, focusing on uncomfortable political incorrectness and questioning truths no one has ever thought to ask, leaving an unpredictable impression. For instance, can Nazis go to heaven, or how gay a country is based on their cheese. These are the kinds of jokes you can expect, and they’ll have you laughing so hard you can’t hear the next scene.

At the film’s center is the friendship between Chris and Lee, which reflects how easy and touching a lasting partnership can be with some people—thanks to the chemistry between John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. Their story runs throughout, and when it’s revealed what’s going on with Chris, it’s quite sad.

Sam Rockwell, in his third collaboration with the filmmaker and the one who won his first Oscar thanks to him, always brings swaggering charisma to anything he’s in, as he does with Lee, playing the straight man and giving him the space to deliver a layered character. This assignment makes it hard for him to decide who matters most. We’ve seen time and again that Rockwell is one of those actors who can be the best part of an otherwise mediocre movie.

This is the best performance I’ve seen from John Malkovich in years. Chris is struggling with memory loss, yet his professional background remains vivid; consequently, Lee—while managing his own morphine use—has him record ideas for a memoir. These entries hilariously lead him to ponder whether dinosaurs have souls and reside in heaven. Chris is the type of character who blurts out whatever comes to mind, often inviting trouble, and Lee’s reactions to these outbursts were consistently hilarious. Ultimately, Malkovich’s performance excels in portraying Chris’s confrontation with his mortality as a former CIA agent who has ended over 60 lives. Facing the end of his own life, he reflects on the weight of his actions and questions his worthiness for the afterlife. Even the quieter scenes, particularly a profound moment of connection between Chris and a horse, carry a beauty that transcends the rest of the film. Safe to say, I see why he’s in the conversation for Best Actor now.

Compared to his other works, the supporting cast was better utilized. While this is the Malkovich and Rockwell show, everybody else was memorable in their own right. Steve Buscemi was great as MJ, and a running gag paid off. Mariana Di Girolamo’s Monica offers to show Chris his softer side by not being offensive, and Parker Posey and Tom Waits had little screen time as Lee’s drunk, unfaithful wife, Marge, and Chris’s brother, respectively, but still had a great presence. Even with a smaller cast than usual, he gets the best out of everyone.

With these five films deep into his career, McDonagh helps viewers understand what the characters are going through. The leads show some humanity despite who they are, but afterward it makes you ponder our mortality the same way Chris did on Easter Island. With that, and the story’s focus on how shady the CIA is, it doesn’t seem to shy away from exposing the truth. If I have any real criticism, it’s that the third act lost a bit of momentum. Yet, it all culminated in a strong ending that almost got me. I didn’t cry, but it definitely hit me on the inside.

Wild Horse Nine gives dedicated fans what they love from Martin McDonagh: a conspiracy thriller that walks the line between funny and delightfully thought-provoking. With pitch-perfect chemistry between its leads and a sharply written screenplay, it’s hands down one of the year’s best and a true Oscar contender.

Martin McDonagh’s Filmography Ranked: