Nothing feels better than ending a film festival with one of your favs of the fest. Last year I closed things out with Wake Up Dead Man, back in 2021 I ended on Dune in the Imax cinesphere, and now this year I ended my TIFF with Martin McDonagh's latest Wild Horse Nine, one of my most anticipated of the year.
Wild Horse Nine follows Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), a pair of CIA operatives in the early 1970s working in Santiago Chile before the country's coup. That largely sits in the background though, as the pair are sent to Easter Island for a sort of vacation so that Chris can see the giant heads. While on the island he and Lee are forced to reflect on their lives and work, all while Chris begins to bond with a young Chilean student with whom he shares secrets that put him and the CIA at risk.
This is a really interesting entry in McDonagh's filmography, almost acting as a middle ground between his earlier and more recent work. The zany crime-comedy vibes of In Bruges and Seven Psycopaths are present, but they are complimented by a more emotionall rich undercurrent like we've seen in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin. The end result is something that hits some of the comedic peaks of his career, while also delivering something surprisingly tender. Admittedly I expected this to be a louder watch like those earlier films, but the more I've sat with this one I really appreciate how reserved it is when it comes to the action.
Anchoring the film's tone is what may just be a career best performance from John Malkovich. His comedic timing here is otherworldly, but he brings a lingering sadness that makes you really feel for him even when he goes off the rails a bit. McDonagh's dialogue is terrific, but it's Malkovich's delivery that often elevates it to something really special. While not as impressive as his counterpart, Sam Rockwell is also really great here. This is the kind of role we've seen from him before, but that doesn't make his work any less brilliant. The way the two play off of each other is something truly special and worth the price of admission alone.
The supporting cast doesn't shine quite as much as I expected based on the trailers, but it is full of great small performances. Steve Buscemi as essentially the boss of Chris and Lee is hilarious, delivering some of his best work in a long time. Parker Posey is wildly underutilized but when she is on screen, she too makes the most of her time. The star of the supporting cast though is Mariana di Girolamo as the student Chris becomes aquainted with. She feels like the only innocent one in a world of morally grey individuals, and the way she brings that light while also having a pretty fiery attitude make her a character you love pretty much immediately.
From a filmmaking standpoint this is also an easy one to love. 70s South America makes for a gorgeous setting, and McDonagh's cinematographer Ben Davis brings it to life beautifully. The score doesn't make itself overly known, but the soundtrack is filled with bangers that help not only the tone but also in placing the film in its period setting.
I toyed between a 4 and a 4.5 for this one but there really isn't anything I didn't like about it. There are elements that maybe weren't what I expected, but the more I think about the film the more I appreciate those little surprises. 4.5/5
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