Film Review 4th November 2026
Official Synopsis: Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Amongst the Island’s iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
My review: Martin McDonagh returns to familiar territory with two leading men, razor-sharp dialogue and a very dark sense of humour. But while Wild Horse Nine has the thriller elements and black comedy you might expect, it is the quieter moments of reflection that make it something special.
Set on Easter Island in 1973, the film follows CIA operatives Chris and Lee, played by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. Their boss, MJ (Steve Buscemi), spends much of his time phoning Lee to make sure Chris isn’t revealing any secrets. He knows Chris is writing a memoir and is something of a loose cannon. Almost as soon as they arrive at the airport, Chris is telling two women things about Chile and the CIA that he really should be keeping to himself.
We soon learn that Chris has terminal cancer and is frequently high on morphine, making his already careless behaviour increasingly unpredictable. Malkovich is at his absolute best here. His delivery makes McDonagh’s lines even funnier, while bringing an unexpected tenderness to the more reflective scenes. The camera seems glued to his weary face, almost unable to pull itself away. It is a performance that surely deserves Oscar consideration.
Rockwell deserves plenty of credit too, providing the perfect foil to his partner’s loose lips and eccentric ways. Their exchanges have the bite you would hope for from the writer of In Bruges, but there is more here than brilliantly delivered insults.
Easter Island looks spectacular, beautifully filmed against convincing early-1970s staging. I’m still not entirely sure what to make of the title, although Chris’s encounters with the island’s wild horses have an almost spiritual quality.
For all its darkness, tension and gallows humour, it is the space the film makes for reflection that stayed with me. McDonagh’s writing is spot on, but Malkovich’s ability to make a line both funny and moving gives Wild Horse Nine its heart.
| Film | Wild Horse Nine |
| Release Date | November 6, 2026 (US/UK) |
| Platform | Cinema |
| Director | Martin McDonagh |
| Running Time | 117 minutes |
| Film Link | Searchlight Pictures Official Website |
| Cast | John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Mariana di Girolamo, and Ailín Salas |
Disclosure: I purchased my ticket.
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