Wild Horse Nine

Martin McDonagh’s latest film is titled Wild Horse Nine, possibly because the more apt They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? was already taken. There are professions in which ageing renders a person not only expendable but a serious liability. Such is the case for CIA agent Chris (John Malkovich), whose cancer diagnosis and cognitive decline prompted the septuagenarian to start working on his memoir. Together with his colleague Lee (Sam Rockwell), he leaves 1973’s Santiago de Chile for Easter Island as a last hurrah.

There is a poignant element to the fact that the feature celebrates its world premiere in Venice (predictable due to the director’s history with the festival but lovely nonetheless) as the Italian city keeps coming up in the two men’s conversations. McDonagh’s script displays his usual strength for odd pairings and absurd dialogue, even if not every one-liner elicits the desired full-belly laugh as a response. As witty as the banter may be, the bitter cynicism about the impossibility of democracy ultimately leaves viewers with a lingering sense of sadness.

In The Banshees of Inisherin there is a theological discussion between its protagonists about whether God cares for (miniature) donkeys, which the writer practically continues in Wild Horse Nine as Chris and Lee discuss their understanding of heaven as well as equines. The way the lush green landscape of Easter Island is framed is also reminiscent of the 2022 Irish set film. As a whole, the picture’s film-textured cinematography manages to capture the gritty, sweaty feel of the 1970s as much as current Hollywood standards, where even the idea of dirt seems frowned upon, allow.

The performances are stellar across the board, with the lead cast bringing a rawness that grounds their dotty characters, keeping them from becoming too whimsical. Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey bring their unmistakable presence to smaller supporting roles that further challenge Rockwell and Malkovich.

Wild Horse Nine is the kind of film that can be grimy and funny, unsettling and sorrowful, often within the same scene. Its refusal to commit to one facet, to be merely a straightforward story about facing death, is part of its undeniable charm.

Selina Sondermann

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