John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star in Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine
John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star as two CIA operatives sent to Easter Island in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy-drama Wild Horse Nine, which opened in cinemas on November 4, according to rte.ie.
The film follows Chris Carlisle, an eccentric and melancholic CIA agent played by Malkovich, and his younger colleague Lee Chesterfield, played by Rockwell. The two characters work to undermine Salvador Allende’s government in Chile in 1973 before taking their trip 3,500km out into the Pacific.
rte.ie reported that Sam Rockwell played Lee in the film. IGN noted that the film arrived in theaters on November 6, while The Guardian listed it among current releases.
Chris is riddled with terminal cancer and Catholic guilt while recording his tell-all memoirs into a Dictaphone. He tells Lee, I’ve killed people in countries you can’t even spell,
as reported by rte.ie.
Back in Santiago, bureau chief MJ, played by Steve Buscemi, worries that Chris is about to betray everyone. IGN observed that McDonagh trades the tortured hitmen of In Bruges for two CIA spooks needing a reprieve from setting up Augusto Pinochet’s coup.
Malkovich’s character delivers sharp barbs throughout the runtime. You only have to taste American cheeses once to understand why we lost Vietnam,
he quips in the film.
IGN noted that cinematographer Ben Davis leaned into a 1970s aesthetic, with certain shots framed to mimic Lee’s Super 8 camera. The production also features a cameo by Tom Waits.
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