The last film I saw by Martin McDonagh was The Banshees of Inisherin at the Chicago International Film Festival in October of 2022. Wild Horse Nine has gained much attention at a variety of film festivals this year. The film was screened at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, the 53rd Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the 49th Mill Valley Film Festival, and the 15th Montclair Film Festival. It is also slated to premiere at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival, the 17th Twin Cities Film Festival, the 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. McDonagh’s writing makes for excellent festival material and creates plenty of awards’ buzz. McDonagh knows how to grease the wheel with tensions and unnerving conflicts that result in surreal entertainment that is twisted and vibrant. His fans saw a friendship falling apart with a dark comedic tone in The Banshees of Inisherin. Now they get a look at his approach with CIA colleagues in Chile.
John Malkovich plays Chris and Sam Rockwell plays Lee, two men working together as CIA agents. Their boss is MJ, played by Steve Buscemi. There is a bond of a friendship yet trust is on the fritz in Wild Horse Nine. The love versus hate vibe is written with much wit along the way, especially in the performance of Malkovich. His stereotypical character unleashes classy innuendos and pontificates like a master of success in Wild Horse Nine.
While Chris and Lee continuously work together, they both have their struggles. Chris has drug addictions and always itches for conflicts. Lee is also confrontational but tries to fly below the radar. The boundaries arising when the partners test each other are a revelation. When they get into conversation mode, they talk a lot about democracy, and the connections between countries and their cheeses. The conspiracies linger to full effect in Wild Horse Nine. McDonagh is skilled at combining layers that are laughable and at the same time maintaining a tone of darkness.
Chris and Lee encounter two students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailin Salas) who fascinate them. They feel they are the only humans worthy of proper interactions on their CIA journey in Chile. However, the level of trust is not high, because Lee runs his mouth excessively, always relating subjects to himself and acting like he knows it all. Self-centeredness feels real in Wild Horse Nine.
The film begins to take a proper shift around the issues surrounding Lee. Back home, Lee’s wife, Marge (Parker Posey), is a nervous wreck. She is always under the impression that they may be in danger. The chances are high that she’s right, but at the same time the enemies are quirky and some possess a two-sided nature. Malkovich’s character is someone quite rebellious with an attitude. Given the combination of characters, drugs, and bad choices, the hatred is written in stone and leads to a bigger revelation. McDonagh has delivered another masterpiece filled with mind-boggling twists and turns. Four out of four stars for Wild Horse Nine.
