Wild Horse Nine is a dialogue driven film that trusts its cast to deliver the goods. Movies like this are often thin and non engaging. Unless of course they are penned and directed by Oscar Winner Martin McDonagh. Martin’s ability to create human narrative in the oddest of places is the secret sauce.
Synopsis: Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris and Lee are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau chief, MJ. Amongst the Island’s iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways. | 1h 58m | Rated R for pervasive language, some strong violence, drug use and sexual references.
Martin McDonagh is the epitome of quality over quantity when it comes to direction and storytelling. When three of his six films include bangers like The Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,and In Bruges; you know this one is going to be rich, layered, and a bit off beat. As with years past expect this one to land on the best screenplay ballots.
Martin also has the knack of getting solid actors who know how to breathe into a character. Actors who are not afraid to be raw and gritty regardless of the script. Here he brings together the incredible John Malkovich and the versatile and organic Sam Rockwell. Then surrounds them with support from Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey.
Chris (Malkovich) and Lee (Rockwell) are CIA agents traveling for Chile to Easter Island. It is ambiguous as to what they are doing there. It could be a mission or just a sight seeing detour. Chris is struggling with memory issues and wants to start his memoires. Lee is concerned that his friend is losing his marbles and underneath their ribbing and verbal jabs there is an obvious caring that goes deeper than coworkers.
There seems to be some tension within the agency that with his mind slipping and the desire to write his story that Chris may spill some very dark secrets about past missions. This puts Lee in the awkward position of caring for his pal while also keeping their CIA boss (Buscemi) in the loop.
The setting of 1973 brings a lot of cool clothes, music, and vibes to the story. There is no decade like the 70s for style, politics, and conspiracy theories. Those are all very subtly mixed into the film. Lee and Chris chat a lot about life, women, and what it means to come to terms with your life. Chris especially seems fixated on the afterlife and what it will mean for him and his final destination. The conversations are full of humor, reality, and are very relatable for anyone thinking about what our decisions lead to.
This film is in the vein of In Bruges with sprinkles of the characters we saw in The Banshees of Inisherin. WILD HORSE NONE may be McDonagh’s most layered and emotional scripts yet. Which says a lot with his resume. There are several reasons to watch this film, but the performances of Rockwell and Malkovich lead the pack.
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