When reviewing his previous masterpiece, The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), I compared Martin McDonagh’s writing to a knife against a rock, etching truths his characters find hard to swallow. His latest, Wild Horse Nine, feels like it was written with the butt of a gun: blunter, more bruising, leaving behind self-deprecating dents that make you laugh even as you wince.
It is all so rich, unpredictable, and unsettling. I was on the edge of my seat with every John Malkovich line because there are no indications of where he is going. Is it all lies and secrets, or are we watching insecurities unfold?
With Chile’s 1973 military coup looming, CIA partners Chris (Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are sent to Easter Island by their boss, MJ (Steve Buscemi). There, their dark pasts and mutual suspicions clash with Chris’s unexpected friendship with two rebellious students. That’s 15% of the plot, and the rest is spoiler-filled and wisely kept out of the trailers.
I choose not to research Martin McDonagh’s biographical information because I enjoy the mystery. Since 2008, his filmography has taken us to Bruges, Los Angeles, Ebbing Missouri, the west coast of Ireland, and now Easter Island. I know the incredibly talented playwright/filmmaker was born in London, but I prefer to think he has the world in his hands.
His “protagonists” tend to be cranky, stubborn men with ticking time-bomb resentments. Playing neither hero nor villain, actors Malkovich and Rockwell are perfectly cast to fringe the line between likable and punchable while fulfilling McDonagh’s vision of rumination.
Perhaps that is McDonagh’s greatest gift: making discomfort entertaining and making us laugh at characters we might otherwise want to shake. Beneath the absurdity, sharp dialogue, and unpredictable turns lies a familiar exploration of human frailty, mistrust, and the stories we tell ourselves. Wild Horse Nine may leave you scratching your head, but that is part of its peculiar charm. McDonagh doesn’t seem interested in making his characters comfortable—or his audience entirely certain. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Wild Horse Nine (2026) ****1/2
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