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Note: This review was originally published as part of our Venice 2026 coverage. The movie opens in theaters on November 6.
trailer wild horse nine It seems to be a parody of Martin McDonagh’s well-established and famous style. “How many times do you have to play a line about killing or spelling a man in Czechoslovakia during a World Cup hydration break before you lose it?” The new “How many licks does it take to get to the center of Tootsie Pop?” But no matter how much confidence the trailer instills in its potential boredom; wild horse nine It’s derivative, boring, shallow, uninteresting, and not at all like answering the phone. In some ways, it’s exactly what you expect and exactly as advertised. But as always, McDonagh delivers as effectively as ever, proving that fame and filmmaking success have in no way diluted his artistry.
Chris and Lee were CIA partners in crime for some time. Lee (Sam Rockwell) is a little newer to the game. It’s a far cry from young money, but it’s also a far cry from the credibility Chris (John Malkovich) has built up over the years. Chris is a coup ROI and one of the CIA’s global rebels. He was implicated in the overthrow of President Arbenz in 1954, which effectively ended the Guatemalan revolution for democracy. He played a key role in Cuba on behalf of the CIA in 1960 and again in the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. He went to Dallas for work on November 22, 1963.
In short, as Chris told the unsuspecting Chilean socialists at the airport, the two men destabilize democracy at the behest of the U.S. government. It was February 1973 in Santiago, where assassins were deployed for the same reason. By the time they headed to Easter Island, thousands of miles off the coast of Chile, the coup led by Pinochet was already scheduled for September 11. Now that the assassins’ work is complete, they, inseparable partners, take their vacation to Rapa Nui, its indigenous name.
The fact that there are no indigenous names at all enrages Chris to a fever pitch. Chris, a smug and overtly pro-fascist agitator, organizer and activist, gets a little panic attack about the rise of liberalism every time he hears the word “native” without a plan for sabotage attached. He is an openly mean character. But McDonagh’s secret is to paint Chris in both endearing light and relatable shadows so that he charms you just as clearly. First of all, he’s funny in a very old-fashioned way. This is very similar to what happens to those who understand the prevalence of assertive, socially detached, conservative dads. For another, he speaks with admirable candor and doesn’t always talk about politics. McDonagh’s existential edge is sharper than ever in Chris’s universal meditations. Third, he is dying of cancer, which means he is meditating a lot.
Just like Osborne Cox, Malkovich was employed by the CIA. Burn after readingChris writes his memoir reflectively, this time in the face of imminent death. He seems to be pretty quick, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll be gone any time soon, but contextual clues suggest otherwise. Still, Chris doesn’t want to suffer from his battle with cancer. He doesn’t remember doing it, but he actually asked Lee if he could go to Easter Island so he could kill him peacefully without the threat of the Easter Island police investigating the ‘murder’. Needless to say, Lee feels conflicted (and devastated) by this request.
Over Lee’s shoulder, CIA supervisor MJ (Steve Buscemi) constantly pries for information about specific moments in Chris’ career. What happened to the rifle that killed JFK? As far as anyone knows, Chris was responsible for providing and disposing of the weapons, but MJ suspects he still has them and wants Lee to find out where they are before Chris dies. In other words, he wants Lee to hear Chris’ memoir. As if two shameless best friend assassins hiding out in a remote location for some reason weren’t enough, they make things even worse. in brugesMJ tells Lee to kill Chris as soon as he gets the information.
McDonagh’s fifth feature film thoroughly delves into his major thematic concerns. It is the third story about men who are best friends at each other’s throats, and explores the beauty and difficulties of male friendship amid the conflicting circumstances of work, evolving personalities, and social rejection. above in bruges and Banshee of Inisherin, wild horse nine Traces of are also included. monument And the “Die for Pie” episode. spongebob squarepants—It’s charming, folksy (thanks to Carter Burwell’s gentle score), and a decidedly McDonagh-type story. Chris’ fading memory means he has to leave notes to himself to remember things in the future (e.g. “Don’t trust Lee!”), even if he’s not sure when or why he wrote them. And the movie is getting closer and closer. spongebob It also includes a large wall and on-site flashbacks based on the premise of a friend holding a bomb that could explode at any time.
The details of Malkovich’s character remind me of another film. in the firing lineIn the 1993 Wolfgang Petersen picture, Clint Eastwood plays a Secret Service agent trying to stop a deranged assassin from killing the president. Eastwood’s motivation: His obsession with the JFK assassination was unstoppable. assassin? John Malkovich. What is his background? Former disorganized CIA agent.
McDonagh makes cool, dry jokes about the CIA (and more broadly, all of America’s intelligence agencies). This reality is becoming more true by the minute in modern situations, but perhaps in the past it was always the case simply by dressing better to convince the public. He’s certainly smart, but Chris’ ideological and social laxity surrounding some of the most conspicuously horrific moments in mid-20th century American and world history hint at the idiotic mob mentality behind the CIA’s highest-ranking agents, the callous inhumanity, the violent self-interest that drives the agency, and the ulterior motives of fear-mongering, if not outright totalitarianism, at best.
As for the question of authority, the bishop said, as usual, there were only a few minutes left until we entered the Catholic Church. And we won’t be here often. wild horse nineMcDonagh establishes a juxtaposition between two opposing concepts: murder for wages/politics and Christian faith. in bruges or Banshees of Inisherin. Like Schrader and Scorsese, the London-born Irish filmmaker has maintained a professional obsession with guiding the spiritual, as well as the spiritual disciplines of everyday faith and religious devotion, into the recognizable worlds he imagines. And like Schrader and Bresson, he awakens the soul with dense, skillful theological thematic works that leave the audience whispering questions to themselves. They have no doubt shouted into the air a million times without getting a reply.
McDonagh’s screenwriting side is still intact. It’s part Larry David, part David Mamet, part Coen brothers, and part Samuel Beckett. That’s not to say McDonagh’s directing instincts have gone astray, but the playwright-turned-screenwriter has always been a scribe first and a filmmaker second. His direction is simply a means of conveying what’s on the page, and what’s on the page has been consistently good throughout his 20-year film career (despite being nominated for six, he won his only Oscar for his debut short). six shooter 2006) Half the work of directing is getting out of the way so the script can speak for itself. As such, McDonagh does a great job both focusing his talents on the script and illuminating it with a stylistically simple approach.
Coverage of relationships between democracy, homosexuals, being cheesy in certain countries, horses that smell like cancer, the political effectiveness of gunfire, and gun-toting bosses are among some of McDonagh’s funniest moments to date. And it’s no surprise that Malkovich, joining regular collaborator Rockwell for the first time, packs a decent dialogue punch. If there’s anything to push on, it’s all old territory. But as long as McDonagh continues to elevate them at this level, each feels new and gives him carte blanche to tell stories of men becoming buds until he retires.
wild horse nine It premiered at the 2026 Venice Film Festival and is scheduled to be released on November 6.