Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell

Martin McDonagh’s CIA Caper Lands in Cinemas

Back on an isolated island with two men struggling to communicate, writer and director Martin McDonagh returns to the wonky bromance territory of In Bruges with his new film, Wild Horse Nine. Released in cinemas on November 4, rte.ie reported, the film pairs John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as two CIA agents working to undermine Salvador Allende’s government in Chile in 1973. IGN noted the film’s theatrical rollout arrived on November 6. The narrative takes the pair on a trip to Easter Island, 3,500km out into the Pacific, leading to a reckoning among the island’s famous statues.

Malkovich stars as Chris Carlisle, an eccentric and melancholic CIA operative riddled with terminal cancer and Catholic guilt. Rockwell plays Lee Chesterfield, a partner tagging along for his own reasons. As rte.ie detailed, the duo spends much of the runtime driving a battered old coupe, bickering and discussing the exacting efficiency of their dirty work.

Malkovich Wins Best Actor at Venice

Malkovich’s performance has already drawn awards attention, winning best actor at the Venice Film Festival in October. Speaking to his character’s long career in covert operations, Malkovich delivers lines recalling deployments in Guatemala in 1964, the Congo in 1960, and Dallas in 1963. 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 in early ’70s Chile.

“I’ve killed people in countries you can’t even spell.”

Back in Santiago, Steve Buscemi plays irascible bureau chief MJ, a man described by rte.ie as having the charm of a talking liver spot, who worries that loose cannon Chris is about to betray everyone. The film also features a cameo by Tom Waits and weaves in surreal touches, including stray wild horses and monolithic statues that dwarf the bickering agents.

The Critical Reception and the Shadow of in Bruges

Reviewers have naturally gravitated toward comparing the project to McDonagh’s 2007 debut feature, In Bruges. IGN noted that while Wild Horse Nine puts the director in familiar territory with Catholic guilt and stranded partners, it represents a distinct evolution in his storytelling. Cinematographer Ben Davis leaned into a 1970s aesthetic, with certain shots framed to look as though they originated from Lee’s Super 8 camera, complete with visible edges of the film stock.

WILD HORSE NINE | Now Playing in Theaters – Get Tickets Now | Searchlight Pictures

The Guardian highlighted the film’s arrival in its weekly entertainment guide, noting Malkovich’s Oscar buzz for portraying an ageing operative sent to Easter Island alongside his younger colleague.

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