Wild Horse Nine (2026) | Film Review

There are movies that entertain you, movies that challenge you, and then there are movies that leave you sitting there contemplating the questionable decisions that have accumulated throughout your own existence. Wild Horse Nine manages to accomplish all three, although it is considerably more interested in the latter two. And frankly, that is precisely why it works so well.

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin), the film follows two CIA operatives, Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), who find themselves stationed in Chile in 1973. Their assignment takes them to Easter Island, where political intrigue, buried secrets, and increasingly uncomfortable personal revelations begin to complicate their already questionable professional lives. Chris, in particular, is confronting his own mortality and the consequences of a lifetime of decisions, including connections to the infamous 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Because apparently, working for the CIA does not exactly come with a spotless résumé.

Let’s get something out of the way immediately: John Malkovich delivers what may be the finest performance of his career. No hyperbole. This is an extraordinary piece of acting and one of those performances that reminds you just how captivating a great character actor can be when given the right material. As Chris, Malkovich portrays a man who has seemingly spent his entire existence operating without moral boundaries, rationalizing his actions through professional obligation, political ideology, and whatever convenient justification he could manufacture. Now, with mortality staring him directly in the face, those justifications are becoming considerably harder to maintain.

What makes the performance so fascinating is that Malkovich never approaches Chris as someone suddenly discovering morality or desperately searching for redemption. Instead, he plays a man attempting to make sense of a lifetime of decisions while realizing there may not be enough time left to make peace with any of them. He is eccentric, cynical, occasionally hilarious, and increasingly vulnerable in ways he probably would have dismissed as weakness just a few years earlier. There is an underlying sadness to the character that sneaks up on you, particularly when his philosophical ramblings give way to something considerably more personal.

Sam Rockwell, meanwhile, takes a much more restrained approach as Lee, essentially providing the perfect counterbalance to Malkovich’s unpredictable CIA operative. Rockwell is terrific, but this is not a performance built around stealing scenes or competing for the spotlight. He allows Malkovich to cook, reacting to the increasingly bizarre circumstances with the kind of understated frustration and exasperation that Rockwell does so exceptionally well. Their chemistry is terrific, and the relationship between these two men becomes the emotional foundation of the film.

There is something particularly entertaining about watching two people who have spent decades participating in morally questionable activities attempt to navigate the uncomfortable realization that perhaps they have not been the good guys in their own stories. Imagine spending your professional life destabilizing governments and participating in covert operations, only to arrive at retirement age and discover that your biggest accomplishment is an impressive collection of questionable life choices. Not exactly the inspirational retirement speech you were hoping to deliver.

But ultimately, this is Martin McDonagh’s playground, and he is operating in a particularly reflective mode here. His previous films have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to blend dark comedy, philosophical observations, and deeply flawed characters into something both absurd and profoundly human. He also knows how to stack his stories with supporting characters that factor into the plot – such as Steve Buscemi as their increasingly frustrated boss or Mariana di Girolamo as an innocent college student Chris befriends – and Wild Horse Nine continues that tradition, although there is a more meditative quality to this particular outing.

McDonagh seems less interested in delivering an elaborate political thriller than using its historical backdrop to examine the personal consequences of a life spent making terrible decisions. The conversations, disagreements, recollections, and increasingly uncomfortable realizations are where the film finds its greatest strength. Stylistically, there is something wonderfully reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino by way of the Coen Brothers. The dialogue is unconventional, the humor can be wickedly uncomfortable, and the characters have a habit of wandering into philosophical conversations that somehow manage to be both ridiculous and revealing.

The Easter Island setting also provides a fascinating contrast to the moral decay unfolding between these characters. Its remote beauty and enormous stone statues create an almost otherworldly backdrop for a story about confronting the past. McDonagh allows scenes to breathe, trusts his performances, and never feels the need to spoon-feed audiences every little revelation.

That deliberate approach will not work for everyone. Those expecting a traditional thriller may find the pacing and conversational detours frustrating. But for audiences willing to settle into McDonagh’s particular brand of storytelling, there is plenty to appreciate.

Wild Horse Nine is an unexpected standout and another reminder that Martin McDonagh is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. It is a darkly funny, occasionally melancholy examination of mortality, regret, friendship, and the consequences of a life perhaps not so well spent.

Sam Rockwell is excellent, McDonagh delivers another wonderfully unconventional piece of filmmaking, and John Malkovich gives a performance that deserves considerably more attention than simply being another impressive entry in an already remarkable career.

Sometimes the best movies are not about heroes finding redemption or villains getting their comeuppance. They are simply about a couple of deeply questionable human beings sitting around trying to figure out what the hell they did with their lives. And apparently, if you have spent enough time working for the CIA, that can be a pretty lengthy conversation.