I attended an advance screening of Wild Horse Nine after seeing only the trailer and expecting a quirky comedy. I had no idea how deeply the film would resonate with me. It made me laugh, then evoked compassion and, ultimately, heartache. Martin McDonagh’s latest blends genres in a way that defies easy classification, and its compelling performances make it a must-see movie of the year.
It’s 1973. Chilean President Salvador Allende is weeks away from being overthrown, and two CIA agents have helped lay the groundwork. Chris (John Malkovich) is an aging officer with a sharp mind, a dark past, and a terminal cancer diagnosis. Lee (Sam Rockwell) is his brash, foul-mouthed friend and partner.
Before he dies, Chris wants to see the giant stone statues of Easter Island, and Lee has promised to take him there. Their nervous boss, MJ (Steve Buscemi), isn’t thrilled about a dying agent who confides too much in strangers. When the pair meet two rebellious Chilean students on the flight, the trip starts to unravel.
What sets the film apart most is John Malkovich. Over a long career, he has given us plenty of memorable characters, but nothing quite like this. He’s funny and charming one moment, then quiet and haunted the next. You can see the weight of everything he’s done sitting on his shoulders.
Malkovich never pushes for your sympathy. He doesn’t need to. By the final scenes, you feel every bit of what he's carrying. It’s the kind of performance that reminds you what great acting can do. He’s been nominated for an Oscar twice and has never won. That should change this year. The Oscar belongs to him.
He doesn’t carry the film alone. Sam Rockwell, as Lee, is the ideal foil — and arguably just as essential. He won an Oscar for McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and he slips into this director’s rhythm as if he never left. On the surface, Lee is all swagger and bad language. Underneath, Rockwell lets something softer show, little by little. Lee loves Chris, though he would never say it. You see it in the way he watches him, and it’s quietly devastating.
The rest of the cast is just as strong. Parker Posey is a delight as Marge, Lee’s wife. She looks every inch the part, from her early-’70s style to the way she carries herself, and she makes the most of every minute on screen. Steve Buscemi steals nearly every scene as MJ, a company man always one bad phone call away from panic. Tom Waits appears as Chris’s estranged brother, while Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas bring real fire and conviction to the students.
None of this should surprise anyone. Wild Horse Nine earned rapturous reviews at the Venice and Telluride film festivals, and awards season is already buzzing. Malkovich should lead the Best Actor race, Rockwell and Buscemi deserve spots in the supporting-actor conversation, and don’t be surprised to see the film itself in the Best Picture race.
In the end, Wild Horse Nine is a dark comedy with a big heart—and one of the year's best films. It will make you laugh, then break your heart. Come for John Malkovich’s career-best performance. Stay for a cast that matches him every step of the way.
Wild Horse Nine opens in theaters Nov. 6. Don’t miss it.
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