Brilliant John Malkovich gives his best performance in years…
film review
WILD HORSE NINE
Running time: 118 minutes. Rated R (pervasive language, some strong violence, drug use, sexual references). In theaters Nov. 6.
It’s stunning that, up until now, John Malkovich had never appeared in a Martin McDonagh film before.
Granted, the Brit has only directed 5 and the casts are often small. But the two males share such comparable sensibilities: total-eclipse-dark humor, a confrontational fashion, proud peculiarity and a sort of macho mind. They’d in all probability match on some terrifying courting app.
And so, it’s not shocking in any respect that Malkovich is just impeccable in McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine,” which performed to loud laughs on Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Whether his openly offensive CIA agent character Chris is giving a speech about what the high quality of a rustic’s cheese means, or is hinting that he was by some means concerned in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Malkovich is mesmeric and live-wire unpredictable.
You have to return many years to discover a performance from the “Of Mice and Men” star that’s so wealthy and blistering.
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Chris’ ranting and riffing virtually comes across as the actor’s personal stream-of-consciousness musings, so good the pairing of Malkovich and McDonagh is.
And that’s not the only perfect duo current. Malkovich acts reverse Sam Rockwell, who’s already on his third McDonagh movie and starred in the author’s Broadway play “A Behanding in Spokane.” Abrasive as ever, Rockwell is Malkovich’s associate in crank.
John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play bickering CIA brokers in “Wild Horse Nine.” Courtesy of TIFF
It’s 1973, and Rockwell’s Lee is stationed with Chris in Santiago, Chile, which is about to endure a political coup d’etat with the assist of the US authorities.
“How do you like your president? Your new left-wing president?” Chris says as he casually interrogates two women at the airport as they’re all about to fly to Easter Island.
Young and keen on marching on the avenue, the girls naturally like Salvador Allende rather a lot.
“Well, enjoy him while you can.”
The September coup is still months away and merely a backdrop for a story of a really uncommon friendship, a frequent McDonagh fixation. Bickering Chris and Lee are on the island for every week for some R&R, and Chris particularly needs to go see what he calls “the big heads” — the well-known historic stone statues.
Lee (Sam Rockwell) and Chris (John Malkovich) jet to Easter Island on a visit. Courtesy of TIFF
Of course, despite the pastoral inexperienced hills, ocean views and vacationer points of interest, this isn’t Stanley Tucci making gnocchi in Italy. We soon study that there’s a a lot grimmer cause for his or her journey.
Lee is in common contact with their boss MJ (Steve Buscemi), who asks him to maintain a detailed eye on loose-lipped Chris. Rockwell’s agent also locations some long-distance telephone calls to his dishonest spouse, Marge, performed by Parker Posey in just a few pleasant scenes.
Fans have their favorites, however I reckon “Wild Horse Nine” is McDonagh’s outright funniest film. That said, I laughed my ass off all the manner via “The Banshees of Inisherin,” while a buddy’s one-sentence review was: “That was very sad.” This writer-director is polarizing like that.
Chris needs to go to what he calls “the big heads.” Courtesy of TIFF
Much like “Banshees,” which was also about two difficult male buddies partaking in a gallows-humor-athon, “Wild Horse Nine” isn’t too plotty or clearly eventful.
Don’t let the synopsis idiot you into considering it’s essential know a lot about the 1973 Chilean coup. You don’t. The meat is in Lee and Chris’ oddball conversations, which appear to be utterly random and for our leisure until we regularly perceive that they’re dancing round a life-and-death matter.
To get there, McDonagh fastidiously provides clues and twists until the scenario lastly blows up. That’s his efficient fashion. One hour and 50 minutes of striptease, and 10 minutes of orgy.
John Malkovich attends the premiere of “Wild Horse Nine” during the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. AFP through Getty Images
“Wild Horse” is one in every of the director’s most plainly pleasant motion pictures, thanks in no small half to the good Malkovich and refreshingly sunny setting. There is an automated depression — and dramatic weight — to a craggy Irish island and rural Missouri that a Southern Hemisphere paradise can’t declare. Perhaps some will ding this movie for a comparative lack of heft.
But after a few violent and bloody clashes, the film deepens and ends serenely and meaningfully. Malkovich is beautiful in the final moments, and goes locations he not often will get to anymore. Too many filmmakers of late, wanting his well-known persona, have been a lot too content with him merely being John Malkovich (i.e., the heinous “Opus”).
Sorry.
The viewers’s satisfying disappointment at the end of “Wild Horse Nine” brings to thoughts another strong commonality Malkovich and McDonagh share. As in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” they’ve made us as soon as again love a man who, in real life, we must always detest.
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