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Wild Horse Nine is another Martin McDonagh two-hander special, this time pairing John Malkovich’s veteran CIA agent Chris Carlisle with Sam Rockwell’s Lee Chesterfield, his protégé. Carlisle is dying of cancer, and after years of working together, Lee is taking him to Easter Island for one final goodbye.
Is Wild Horse Nine Just In Bruges 2.0?
As a huge fan of In Bruges, I spent the early stretch wondering how much more McDonagh had to say about sin, redemption, and complex male relationships. Then again, Carlisle didn’t accidentally kill the wrong person. He’s spent a lifetime killing people on behalf of the U.S. government. With the 1973 Chilean coup d’état looming, he’s beginning to grasp that the consequences of his work will haunt the next generation.
What can Carlisle still do for the people who’ll have to live with his choices after he’s gone? That’s where Wild Horse Nine really sizzles.
Malkovich and Rockwell Make the Most of One Last Goodbye
It might also be McDonagh’s best-looking film yet. Cinematographer Ben Davis makes gorgeous use of Santiago and Easter Island, though the playwright in McDonagh still knows when to leave us in the company of two magnetic characters. Malkovich and Rockwell make a compelling case for the most watchable onscreen duo of the year.
Carlisle is beginning to regret the work he spent years teaching Lee how to do. That gives even Lee’s best zingers a melancholy edge. Rockwell gets the laugh, but you can still feel the bittersweet farewell hanging over the entire film like a spectre.
Malkovich is remarkably subtle here. He can get a laugh out of just how dour Carlisle is, and every so often he lets a little humanity slip through.
Perhaps there is sympathy for the devil. And Malkovich just might finally get an Oscar.
Letter Grade: B+
About Wild Horse Nine
IMDB describes Wild Horse Nine as:
CIA agents Chris and Lee face a trust-testing mission from Santiago to Easter Island during 1973 in Chile.
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