Wild Horse Nine: our review, between refinement and excess

Some films are easy to describe. Wild Horse Nine, however, defies summary: laying out the plot isn’t enough to convey the pleasure of its dialogue, the eccentricity of its characters, and its ability to make profoundly absurd exchanges feel believable. That blend is where the film by Martin McDonagh finds its success, in French cinemas on November 4, 2026.

The plot unfolds in the months leading up to Chile’s 1973 coup. Chris, portrayed by John Malkovich, and Lee, portrayed by Sam Rockwell, are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their superior MJ, played by Steve Buscemi.

Amid the island’s towering statues, the longtime duo find themselves up against the missions they helped pull off and the schemes bubbling around them. Their stay takes a turn when Chris grows closer to two defiant students, played by Mariana Di Girólamo and Ailín Salas.

A dark comedy balancing subtlety and heavy-handedness

The subtlety of Wild Horse Nine doesn’t lie in a delicate touch at every turn. The film can capture a nuance, then hammer home the obvious, throw out a provocation, or draw out an exchange to the point of absurdity. At times, it kicks in open doors with almost startling force. This deliberate heaviness is part of its humor, with all the delight—and potential irritation—that entails.

This tonal contrast particularly won us over. The characters don’t always bother with subtlety, while their relationship hints at more delicate feelings. The pleasure lies in the two things coexisting: an absurdity doesn’t stop a conversation from revealing something tender, and the emotion never entirely erases the incongruity of the people who stir it.

This blend of dark humor, absurdity, and humanity calls the Coen brothers to mind. There’s a particular pleasure in following morally dubious men, wrapped up in their own affairs while the world’s gravity looms around them. The comparison mainly illuminates the tone: we can laugh at these characters, grow attached to their relationship, and remain aware of what they represent.

John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell make the absurd believable

John Malkovich plays an incredible character whose singularity is one of the film’s greatest charms. His words, reactions and way of participating in conversations give the dialogue a distinctive flavor. Opposite him, Sam Rockwell holds his own. The pair work so well together that it’s a pleasure to watch them talk, regardless of what the conversation immediately adds to the plot.

The dialogue is full of wit, even when it takes improbable detours. That’s where the film’s other paradox comes into play: the exchanges can become extravagant without making us stop believing in the people having them. Their credibility comes from the relationship between the two men, from the sense that they share a history and have their own way of putting up with each other.

The music adds to the enjoyment. The songs accompanying the story contribute to its atmosphere and make you want to extend the experience beyond the screening. Along with the dialogue and performances, they help make the film easier to enjoy than to describe.

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A kind of humor you can also keep your distance from

Wild Horse Nine won’t be an obvious choice for every viewer, though. Its provocations, insistent conversations and shifts in tone may leave some at a distance. What amuses us in the contrast between subtlety and heavy-handedness may strike others as overdone. Enjoying this duo and its humor is key to enjoying the film.

The film is aimed particularly at fans of dark comedies and offbeat characters, and those who enjoy savoring dialogue and going along with its detours. It may be less suited to viewers looking for an immediately accessible comedy or a spy story focused on action and a clearly signposted plot.

For our part, these contradictions are what make Wild Horse Nine so rich. At times subtle, at times deliberately over the top, absurd yet convincing in its central relationship, the film finds remarkable performers in Malkovich and Rockwell. A gem in our eyes, provided you’re receptive to this humor, which can hit the mark just as readily as it likes to hit hard.

The cast also includes Tom Waits and Parker Posey. She returns to the realm of dark comedy after her appearance in The White Lotus, while Tom Waits reunites with Martin McDonagh after Seven Psychopaths.

Wild Horse Nine marks a fresh collaboration between Martin McDonagh and Sam Rockwell, the filmmaker having previously directed the actor in Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The director also reunites with Searchlight Pictures, Blueprint Pictures and Film4 after The Banshees of Inisherin.

Premiered in September 2026 in the official competition of the 83rd Venice Film Festival, the film earned John Malkovich the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. The honor highlights his portrayal of Chris, an aging operative whose past and methods are called into question as the mission unfolds.

With a runtime of 1h58, this British-American-Chilean production is produced by Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh and Anita Overland. Searchlight Pictures handles distribution.

Also check out the films in theaters this November, the films currently showing in theaters, and our selection of thrillers to discover in theaters.

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