No one writes male friendships like Martin McDonagh. In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, The Banshees of Inisherin, and now his latest, Wild Horse Nine, a hilarious caper set shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat, featuring a fairytale-like setting and some new faces. The most notable is of course John Malkovich in a first collaboration with McDonagh – and, we hope, the first of many. As Chris Carlisle, a veteran CIA officer with terminal cancer, Malkovich steals the show, warts and all, a melange of truthful naysayer and childish vulnerability that tugs at the heartstrings by moments and forces into recoil at others. Sam Rockwell plays his emotionally exhausted protégé Lee Chesterfield, who takes him to Easter Island as a final wish of sorts before his inevitable death, while Steve Buscemi co-stars as MJ, the bureau chief stationed in Chile who has other ideas about this so-called buddy trip.
At surface level, Wild Horse Nine is about a longstanding friendship put to the test by aged conspiracies and, in a tragic twist, Chris’ amnesia as his health deteriorates. However underneath, McDonagh also paints a period of deep political instability and uncertainty in Chile, aptly reconciling it with the truth and lie dichotomy that Chris attempts to make sense of in his personal life. Malkovich and Rockwell’s chemistry is a pure bliss to behold, though it is clear to both them and us that the latter is more of a support system, in and out of character – to let Chris have his final moments in peace, and to let Malkovich shine in a role that was made for him. McDonagh’s script is classic, quick, nasty jabs that veil a true fondness, that come across as insults at first, hard truths later. Monica (Mariana di Girolamo), a student on holiday on the island, offers a voice outside of the cantankerous duo, a breath of youth that softens and soothes Chris. In a fantastically joyous turn of events, he begins to write his memoirs, given to us as a voiceover in Malkovich’s slow, soothing, at times slightly inarticulate voice, a gem of a moment as the camera sweeps over the landscapes of Easter Island. Here too is a stroke of genius, the “big heads” as they are affectionately nicknamed offering a fairytale aesthetic, perfect for the happy-sad tone at play here. By and large, this is wonderfully odd and effective cinema.
Wild Horse Nine screened at the London Film Festival and will be in UK cinemas from 6 November 2026.
