Wild Horse Nine review by Bobby Blakey
Director Martin McDonagh has had an impressive career so far with films like In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin. His latest film Wild Horse Nine brings together yet another great cast including John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits, and Parker Posey, but does it bring that usual something special his films are known for or will it get lost staring at the large heads of Easter Island?
Wild Horse Nine follows CIA agents Chris and Lee shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, who 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.
As a massive fan of his previous films, I could not wait to see what was in store this time around. The trailers offered up just enough to set things up and showcase the quirky nature to come but also looked like it could have exposed the whole thing. The film is straight forward on what is promised but still injects some interesting directions to make it compelling from beginning to end.
This isn’t an exciting film, nor does it have a lot of twists and turns to surprise, but thanks to the excellent performances across the board and the chemistry between Rockwell and Malkovich good and bad elevates the film to something more than it might have been otherwise. Most of the film is just banter between them about not only the mission of sorts that they are on, but also just about life and nonsense. It will
not work for some who are just waiting for that next thing to happen, but for me I was entertained enough just watching these two guys do their thing.
The last act of the film is where it really shines though as everything is revealed and comes to a head. Despite the ongoing backstabbing and planning it still manages to find some heart in the final scene of the film and gives more depth to everything that came before it. It firmly delves into the usual style of McDonagh and pulls you into every element from humor to the heart and the absolute mundane of its story.
This is the kind of film that I think will split people from brilliant nature to those hoping for more excitement and let down. Just let the journey happen as the payoff is good and the meat of the film is filled with so many great moments and great performances that it’s worth checking out.
Decide for yourself and check out Wild Horse Nine in theaters now from Searchlight Pictures.