Wild Horse Nine
Writer/director Martin McDonagh has a way with words. He has now made five movies, mostly about people struggling with regret. They could be killers, law enforcement, farmers, parents, spouses, etc. They all deal with their internal issues in surprisingly philosophical ways, considering their circumstances. These are not happy stories, but they are funny, clever, entertaining and more thoughtful than their level of violence would suggest. Each of his features are worth checking out. That certainly includes his latest, the dark comedy/thriller Wild Horse Nine, following a couple of guys on a not so innocent trip to Easter Island.
It is 1973 and Lee and Chris are CIA agents working out of Chile, helping to plan a coup to overthrow the country’s new president. Lee is married to a wife he hates, with two kids he doesn’t care about. Chris is dying of cancer and losing his memory. When they take a break for a week to vacation on Easter Island, they gradually realize they are not alone and they may be in danger.
One of McDonagh’s biggest strengths as a filmmaker is finding great actors to embody his characters. In this case, that is what will carry the movie deep into awards season. John Malkovich has rightly been getting a ton of buzz as a dying CIA operative trying to hang on to his memories. He is excellent, keeping this loose-lipped, lonely, opinionated man grounded in his own mortality. This is a guy who has been to a lot of places, killed a lot of people and had a major impact on world events. While he was a master at his craft, his heart is no longer into it. His insistence on writing a memoir, as a way of sharing his experiences before they are gone forever, makes him a security threat.
His tendency to share his thoughts on everything, no matter who his company is, is very funny. Chris could have easily turned into an annoying comic caricature. Malkovich makes him both hilarious and tragic. His work has kept him alone. Now, he is dying and no one will remember him. It is an endearing and impressive performance by a tremendous actor.
His friendship with Lee, played by the great Sam Rockwell, is actually kind of sweet. Lee is on Easter Island for Chris. He loves the man, despite how unpredictable he has become. Rockwell brings his prickly charm to the role. The plot is on his shoulders, since Chris barely registers what is going on around him. Rockwell has good chemistry with Parker Posey, as his cheating wife who he checks in with from time to time. Their conversations are amusing, while also establishing that, even with a family, Lee is nearly as disconnected from the world as Chris. It is a necessary hazard in their line of work.
All of the performances are good. That includes Steve Buscemi as their boss, MJ, who Chris despises. Though he isn’t given much to work with, Buscemi brings energy and personality that makes the character seem more fleshed out than he truly is. The other key supporting role goes to Mariana Di Girolamo as Monica, a woman Chris and Lee meet at the airport and then see frequently around the island. Who she is isn’t as important as what she represents to Chris, which is youth and the continuation of life in his impending absence. Maybe he looks at her and thinks about what he could have had if things were different? Their scenes together are the quiet heart of the movie.
Wild Horse Nine (111 minutes, minus the end credits) isn’t as smooth with tonal shifts as McDonagh’s previous outings. The humor is a little sillier, which is occasionally awkward next to some of the heavier moments. Still, it is a fun ride, featuring one of the best performances of 2026.
4 out of 5
Cast:
Sam Rockwell as Lee
John Malkovich as Chris
Steve Buscemi as MJ
Mariana Di Girolamo as Monica
Ailín Salas as Alicia
Parker Posey as Margie
Written/Directed by Martin McDonagh
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