Description
Shortly before the 1973 coup in Chile, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) leave Santiago, where they work under their boss and bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi), and head to Easter Island. Among the island’s iconic statues, the two partners face their dark past and a web of conspiracies. Meanwhile, the unexpected bond Chris forms with two revolutionary students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to derail the trip to this remote paradise.
About the film
Two men at the end of the world
Wild Horse Nine is the fifth feature from Oscar-winning writer-director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Banshees of Inisherin). At its center is a friendship forged over decades of secrets, loyalty and moral compromise.
Chris and Lee are veteran CIA agents whose careers unfolded in the shadows of the Cold War. They arrive on Easter Island carrying a long shared past, and although they are off duty, each has hidden motives he keeps from the other. Chris reflects on the choices of his life and career, while Lee must carry out orders from his superior that will affect Chris’s fate.
The island and the coup
McDonagh first visited Easter Island (Rapa Nui) more than a decade ago, with no story in mind. The idea came together when he combined the island’s isolation with another long-standing interest: Chile’s political turmoil in the early 1970s and America’s role in it. That interest began with a song by The Clash, “Washington Bullets.” The film is set in the tense months before the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected president Salvador Allende.
Dark humor, real feeling
Beneath the black comedy lies a story about friendship, guilt and what we are willing to do for another person. In McDonagh’s words, the love between these two men is the heart of the film. Malkovich describes it as “a funny film in a weirdly dark way.”
Look and sound
- Cinematography: Ben Davis shot mostly digitally, but recreated the look of early-1970s American cinema. Reference points were Fat City and Midnight Cowboy. The image uses Ektachrome-style color and Baltar lenses, and was transferred to film and scanned back for authentic grain. Some shots are in Super 8 and 16mm.
- Locations: Santiago (muted and grim), Easter Island (vivid greens) and Monument Valley, Utah, including John Ford Point.
- Music: Carter Burwell’s score blends a romantic, Morricone-like western feel with Andean strings (charango, ronroco) and gamelan percussion.
Awards and recognition
- John Malkovich: Best Actor (Volpi Cup), Official Competition, 83rd Venice International Film Festival
- World premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival
Critic quotes
- “A comic thriller that raises the stakes” (The Telegraph, 5 stars)
- “Hugely funny and deeply moving” (The Playlist)
- “A revitalizing dose of pure entertainment” (Little White Lies, 5 stars)
- “John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell are simply outstanding” (Deadline)
- “Easily one of the best films of the year” (Deadline)
Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Stars: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Dark Comedy, Spy, Thriller
Duration: 119′
Language: English
Subtitles: Greek
Screenings:
December 08/09/11/12/13/15/16 at 8:30pm
December 12 at 6.30pm and 8:30pm
