Wild Horse Nine LFF review: Martin McDonagh delivers another brilliant male friendship
Writer-director Martin McDonagh is no stranger to films revolving around two male friends or work colleagues – think In Bruges or The Banshees of Inisherin – and he visits this dynamic once again in Wild Horse Nine.
Set shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat, the political comedy-thriller follows CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) as they are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi). The cracks in their friendship start to show during this trip. Chris is considered a liability because he has no filter and will openly discuss their top-secret work, so Lee is given assignments on his own, while Chris befriends two rebellious students, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailín Salas).
Wild Horse Nine bears some similarities to In Bruges in that it follows two colleagues on a work trip and chaos ensues. I loved the unique setting (the use of the ‘heads’, or Moai, is very cool) as well as the central character dynamic and the witty banter between Rockwell and Malkovich. You can always count on McDonagh to write a funny, intriguing and heartbreaking male friendship, and this one has great tension based on what they say and what they keep from each other.
Rockwell, no stranger to wrapping his mouth around McDonagh dialogue, has an excellent rapport with Malkovich. I could watch them go back and forth all day. Rockwell is always a delight, but Malkovich is the revelation here, giving a remarkable, multi-layered performance that is sure to make him a major player this award season. Buscemi is hilarious as their cutthroat boss, while Parker Posey is fun in a small but pivotal role as Rockwell’s wife.
Because the friendship is so great, the film suffers whenever Chris and Lee are apart, and they are separated more than I liked. My interest dipped in the middle, which is not as exciting as the first act, but it ramps up again in the thrilling and shocking third act.
Wild Horse Nine isn’t peak McDonagh, but it is still solid, amusing and watchable, thanks to his stellar dialogue and the lead performances.
In cinemas from Wednesday 4th November