By Dan Skip Allen

Martin McDonagh has directed some amazing films in the past “In Bruges”, “Seven Psychopats” and “The Banshees of Inisgerin” are some of my favorites of his from the last couple of decades. His writing and directing speak to me as a cinephile. The smart writing, witty banter, and heart-felt characters are the things I love about movies. He’s one of the few writers/directors who can do that for me right now. So when he has a new film out, I pay attention because usually they are worthy of that and are nominated for oscars. Those are the kinds of movies I want to see. His latest film “Wild Horse Nine” is another incredible movie that has depth and layers that define what it is to be considered one of the best of his generation. This is another awards contender in multiple categories.

Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are two veteran CIA Agents who go from Santiago, Chile, where they were stationed to Easter Island for some much needed downtime. At the airport waiting for their plane, they meet two young women, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) a college student and Alicia (Ailin Sales) her travel companion who are optimists regarding the current leader of their country. They have some banter with the woman, but this won’t be the last time they encounter these two idealists. While on Easter Island, the two CIA Agents go around visiting the big heads, or rather Moai, as they are normally supposed to be called. While sightseeing, the two longtime friends have a few heart to heart conversations about their mission, their future, and what is going on behind the scenes on this island. More is going on than meets the eyes as the popular saying goes.

McDonagh likes to infuse deep themes and story beats into his films. This one is no different. He has a subplot involving Malkovich ‘s character that affected me quite a bit. I had a father who died last year, and I thought he would live forever. You never know when it’s your time. I think about this all the time. There is a lot going on in the world that makes me miserable, and I don’t want to be alive sometimes because of the world I live in and how life brings so many struggles sometimes. Life isn’t easy. This man has an illness that is killing him, and it becomes something he constantly thinks about and is a major theme in this film that is very evident throughout. Malkovich handles this narrative like a seasoned pro. That’s why he is going to be nominated for Best Actor for his performance in this movie. He gives the performance of the year thus far. This is potentially a much overdue nomination if it happens for this seasoned veteran actor. 

Quentin Tarantino is a writer/director known for having revisionist history with his films. Specifically with “The Hateful Eight”, “Inglorious Bastards”, “Django Unchained” and “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.” I think McDonagh decided to take this type of storytelling to heart because he took a couple of real events in history and crafted a story around them. Honestly, I was surprised by one of the subplots within this film. The other one made sense in the context of trying to have a buddy comedy. You need something to build a story around. I was shocked, in a good way, at how this revisionist history fit so well into the narrative structure. This is one of the best screenplays this year. McDonagh puts so many elements into this film.

Besides Malkovich, there is a very good supporting cast in this movie. The aforementioned two women at the airport play a bigger role in the story than I originally thought they would until I saw the whole film. Girolamo and Sales were both terrific in their roles. They held their own against three heavyweights in Malkovich, Rockwell, and Buscemi. In one sense, I felt they were a revelation for what they were able to accomplish in this movie. One guy who has been doing it a while now, who’s currently in three films in theaters, “Klara and the Sun”, “The Only Living Pickpocket In New York”, and this one. He is so good at playing all kinds of characters, and he is pretty good once again here as MJ, the CIA head of South America. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Sam Rockwell, who is excellent opposite Malkovich. They have amazing chemistry in this film. You heard the saying “high tides raise all ships well,” which refers to these two who raised each other’s games in this movie. Which made it that much better. This cast as a whole was phenomenal, and I don’t say that lightly. Multiple Oscar nominations are on the way for this cast.

Similar to his last movie, McDonagh made this film on an isolated island. With that in mind, you know you have to see the sights on screen with a different eye. The beautiful cinematography by Ben Davis is all over this film. The gorgeous backdrop of Easter Island and its coastline are everywhere to behold. Who needs lighting when you have sunshine and a beautiful blue sky above to light your film. The luscious green hills are so perfect as a landscape to tell this dark story on. McDonagh knew what he was doing, putting such a dark story in such a beautiful place as this. They were juxtaposed against each other so well in this movie. Also, the costumes made of 70s clothing were a brilliant touch, and also, the cars were pretty cool as well. I love these little things that added to my enjoyment of this period piece set in the 70s.

“Wold Horse Nine” is a title that mainly refers to some wild horses that roam the open land throughout this island. This movie takes place on, but it has a second hidden meaning to it. I won’t spoil what that is, but it has to do with the Malkovich character having a connection to one of these horses roaming around this beautiful island. This is the kind of thing I want to bring up because it’s these little things within the context of the script that make it so good. McDonagh knows how to put these kinds of important aspects into the story, and they have so much meaning yet are hardly noticeable if you’re not looking closely enough. I appreciate these little details in the story.

“Wild Horse Nine” is a somber yet hilarious period piece. It has some great cinematography by Ben Davis and incredible script and direction from McDonagh. The themes are so deep, thoughtful, and very powerful. The cast is all terrific, but it’s Malkovich who gives the performance of a lifetime as this man who is dealing with a life-threatening illness. His relationship with his friend and partner played brilliantly by Rockwell is the meat and potatoes of this story. Without these two giving such great performances, you would have a story that works so well around them. This movie is going to be a multiple Oscar contender, and it could win some people a much overdue Academy Award. This is one of the reasons why I love movies. I was literally in tears by the end of this film from what I had just watched and went through with this movie.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 stars