Dir: Martin McDonagh
Cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana di Girolamo, Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Ailin Salas
McDonagh once again explores regret and morality in this dark but hilarious period caper, which, despite re-treading his past works, remains fresh thanks to its geopolitical backdrop and a transcendent performance from Malkovich
If any filmmaker has truly mastered the art of weaving moral deception and ambiguity into cinema, it is Martin McDonagh. The British-Irish director has an uncanny ability to plunge into the darkest corners of the human experience, yet somehow finds a way to lace even the bleakest moments with biting comedy, often hidden within the strained bonds of male friendship. Many remember his films as comedies, and while they are undeniably hilarious thanks to his razor-sharp, unapologetically vulgar dialogue, beneath the laughter lie somber, melancholic tales about morality and mortality. Guilt, regret, and a haunting lack of authority torment McDonagh’s troubled protagonists, whether it is Colin Farrell‘s suicidal hitman in “In Bruges” (2008), Frances McDormand‘s relentless, grieving mother in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), or Brendan Gleeson‘s obstinate folk musician in “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022).
These signature themes once again take the spotlight in McDonagh’s latest film, the geopolitical espionage thriller “Wild Horse Nine”. The moment it was announced earlier this year, it shot to the top of my most anticipated releases for 2026. As a devoted admirer of McDonagh’s work, I believe his singular blend of dark comedy, violence, and existential musings places him among the finest screenwriters of our time. So when I got the chance to see his newest film at this year’s London Film Festival, a full month before its UK release, I was absolutely thrilled.
Buoyed by glowing word of mouth from earlier festival screenings in North America and Europe, I entered McDonagh’s latest with sky-high expectations—a bar he has consistently set since his debut feature eighteen years ago. That film followed a celebrated run as a playwright and an Oscar-winning short, “Six Shooter” (2004), still his only Academy Award. Despite two previous nominations for his penmanship, AMPAS has yet to fully recognize McDonagh’s screenwriting genius, but “Wild Horse Nine” might be his third-time-lucky moment, as he broadens his political canvas to the turbulent backdrop of the 1973 Chilean coup d’Etat.
Though I was only vaguely aware of this chapter in history, its modern-day echoes quickly became clear as we meet two CIA agents, Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), actively working to undermine the newly elected socialist President Salvador Allende. Chris, an eccentric veteran recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, has started recording his memoirs, threatening to spill agency secrets—including a possible link to the JFK assassination a decade earlier. To contain this ticking time bomb, Chris and Lee’s bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi), sends the pair off to Easter Island.
Between gawking at the island’s legendary stone heads and accidentally revealing state secrets to unsuspecting tourists—including two young leftist feminist students—Chris’s frequent memory lapses fuel his growing paranoia about Lee’s motives. This mounting suspicion forces him to reckon with the real-world destruction left in the wake of his long, deadly career.
Leaving my festival screening of “Wild Horse Nine”, where the audience was in stitches thanks to McDonagh’s signature twisted humour, I couldn’t shake the feeling that his fifth feature was a spiritual sibling to his first—and my personal favourite of his—“In Bruges”. Like the Belgian-set thriller, “Wild Horse Nine” centres on two deeply flawed men at opposite stages of their careers, both haunted by the lives they’ve taken in service of their jobs. Whether killing for a London gangster or the American government, the moral boundaries blur, and their late-blooming remorse begs the question: is it ever too late for redemption? The similarities run deeper still, as both films follow their respective mismatched pair lying low in a picturesque tourist spot, one more volatile than the other, their guilt and suicidal thoughts eroding any sense of consequence—until their perspective is eventually shifted by a woman. Both stories feature memorable debates about the afterlife, played for laughs, of course, with purgatory being likened to Tottenham Hotspur, and heaven imagined with dinosaurs, but beneath the comedy, these moments are achingly sad.
While it might seem unfair to fault McDonagh for revisiting familiar territory—especially given his knack for making it so accessible—the parallels to “In Bruges” will be obvious to longtime fans, which may make this outing feel less fresh or impactful. What kept me hooked, though, was the film’s sharper political edge, spotlighting America’s historic urge to meddle in global affairs for its own benefit. Despite its 1970s setting and references to CIA exploits in Guatemala, the Bay of Pigs, and the shadowy JFK conspiracy, the film’s critique of covert operations and controversial US foreign policy feels more relevant than ever, especially in today’s political climate. “Wild Horse Nine” also schooled me on the 1973 Chilean coup, prompting me to connect the dots between US intervention and the rise of dictator Augusto Pinochet—a figure I knew by name, infamous for his brutal crackdown on socialists and dissenters. Pablo Larraín recently reimagined Pinochet’s legacy in his darkly comic horror “El Conde” (2023), which casts him as a 250-year-old vampire. Fittingly, Larrain himself is an executive producer on “Wild Horse Nine”, cementing his place at the heart of Chilean cinema.
The true power of “Wild Horse Nine” lies in its performances, with McDonagh’s razor-edged dialogue coaxing brilliance from his cast. Though the film treads familiar ground, the melancholic chemistry between Chris and Lee crackles with unpredictability. Rockwell, now a McDonagh veteran in their third collaboration, is excellent, but Malkovich commands the screen in what may be his finest role yet. At 72, he unleashes every eccentric quirk to portray Chris’s tragic decline and his oddly sharp, sometimes hilariously inappropriate political takes—including his controversial views on countries based on their cheese quality. These vulnerabilities make it surprisingly easy to empathize with a man who has spent a lifetime as a killer, showcasing McDonagh’s gift for making even the most flawed characters irresistibly likable.
The supporting cast ably lifts Malkovich toward what could be his first Oscar nod since 1993—and perhaps even a win. The film’s striking visuals, the haunting beauty of Easter Island, and Carter Burwell‘s moody, elegiac score all deepen the sense of isolation and existential unrest. While “Wild Horse Nine” may not quite reach the heights of McDonagh’s very best, with its familiar blend of bleak themes, sudden violence, and sharp-tongued profanity, it reaffirms his status as one of cinema’s most incisive storytellers. His near-Shakespearean talent for cloaking tragedy in comedy is on full display, and I urge you to catch this one on the big screen when it lands next month.
Wild Horse Nine is showing in UK Cinemas from 6th November
Very nice.
This is great news. Can’t wait to see it!
Definitely worth watching