Introduction
Has Martin McDonagh ever made a bad film? Well, his streak is intact because Wild Horse Nine is Oscar-worthy. From the writing to the directing to the acting, every component of this film is operating at its peak. I was so excited when I saw this film in the Fantastic Fest guide. I knew immediately that I had to see it.
Synopsis
Chris and Lee are a pair of CIA agents stationed in Chile in 1973, part of the covert American effort against the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. The two take a trip to Easter Island, ostensibly to step away from their mission, but Lee also hopes he can get his partner to stop running his mouth to anyone who happens to be nearby.
Chris, played by John Malkovich, is a longtime government fixer, i.e., assassin, who also happens to be remarkably chatty about his career, our government’s past activities, and its current plans. Lee, played by Sam Rockwell, is Chris’ partner and loyal friend, and his job seems to be keeping Chris out of as much trouble as possible. Their CIA boss, MJ, played by Steve Buscemi, is an irascible, cranky man who has had enough of Chris, his big mouth, and more than a little of his past work.
Discussion
Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Wild Horse Nine is a top-notch film and, for me, right up there with In Bruges (2008) and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022). Everything about the script works. His primary characters, Chris and Lee, are well-rounded, fully realized people whom you care about despite their jobs as CIA fixers.
McDonagh is a master of the buddy comedy, but more importantly, he knows how to write natural-sounding dialogue. His conversations can run long, yet they never feel overly rambling. I think this is one of McDonagh’s greatest strengths as a writer. He may be one of the best at using conversation to drive a plot. He knows when a discussion needs to be serious, introspective, funny, or move the story forward, and sometimes he manages to accomplish all four in a single conversation.
His direction is equally strong here. Of course, when you have a cast like this, as McDonagh has had throughout his career, his job can’t be too difficult, right? Well, he still does a fantastic job. From finding these amazing locations to knowing exactly where to place his characters so they can carry on his brilliantly written conversations, McDonagh always seems to make the right choice. The film also looks and feels like the 1970s, even in the remote setting of Easter Island.
The Cast
Perhaps most impressive is how the director handles a cast that is filled with actors who are natural scene-stealers. Somehow, nobody overwhelms anyone else. Besides McDonagh himself, the biggest draw of Wild Horse Nine is the cast he has assembled and the performances he gets from them. All of the principal actors are great in their own right.
Steve Buscemi is fantastic as MJ. You really come to hate this guy, and much of that comes from Buscemi’s performance. MJ is just nasty, a man who seems to care very little about his people beyond their usefulness to the mission. Sam Rockwell probably has the most difficult job as Lee because he has to play off both Buscemi’s MJ and John Malkovich’s Chris. In many ways, it is Rockwell’s job to make the other actors’ performances hit their marks, and he excels at it. He effortlessly plays the straight man, allowing the characters around him to shine even brighter.
That actually brings into focus just how good an actor Rockwell is. He understands what the film needs from him and gives exactly that rather than trying to steal every scene. Not every actor can do that. Then there is John Malkovich as Chris, who is spectacular. I’m not sure when Malkovich last had an opportunity this good to remind us why he has always been such a remarkable actor. Chris is aging and knows his time with the agency is short, and quite possibly his life as well. That realization has made him fearless about expressing exactly what he thinks and feels.
Chris is dealing with both immediate and long-term health problems, and Malkovich gives tremendous texture to the way the character confronts his mortality. There is a sense that Chris knows this mission could be his swan song, and Malkovich finds both the humor and sadness in that realization. I think his performance is Oscar-worthy, and I would be shocked if he isn’t part of the awards conversation. I feel much the same way about Rockwell and Buscemi.
Conclusion
I would also be remiss not to mention Parker Posey’s fun supporting performance as Lee’s wife, Marge. Although she is far removed from the action, her conversations with Lee serve much the same purpose for Rockwell that Lee serves for Chris and MJ. She gives us another side of Lee. And in doing so, she elevates Rockwell’s character and performance. The whole cast is fantastic.
More than likely, Wild Horse Nine will be the best film I see at Fantastic Fest this year, and considering how much I love this festival, that is saying something. I am already looking forward to watching it again in November. McDonagh has put together a great script, a remarkable cast, and some of the best performances I have seen this year. It’s exactly the kind of movie I come to Fantastic Fest hoping to discover. I highly recommend it.
