John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play two ageing CIA agents whose assignment to Easter Island becomes an unexpectedly hilarious confrontation with their own dark histories. Martin McDonagh, the director of In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, returns with a wickedly funny, politically charged tragicomedy about friendship, regret and the uncomfortable business of growing old with blood on your hands.
Film details
- Title: Wild Horse Nine
- Premiere date in the Netherlands: 5 November 2026
- Director: Martin McDonagh
- Runtime: 118 minutes
- Genre: Black comedy, crime, drama, thriller
- Countries: United Kingdom, United States, Chile
- Language: English
- Subtitles: Dutch
- Age rating: 16+
- Cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas
- Where to watch in Rotterdam: KINO, LantarenVenster and Cinerama
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
What's the vibe?
It is 1973, and Chile is approaching one of the darkest moments in its modern history. CIA agents Chris and Lee have spent their careers interfering in other countries' affairs, and their latest assignment takes them from Santiago to the remote Pacific island of Rapa Nui, better known internationally as Easter Island.
Chris, played by John Malkovich, is an ageing operative with a spectacularly unpleasant professional history and a growing awareness that his best days are behind him. Lee, played by Sam Rockwell, is his younger, foul-mouthed partner, who would quite like to enjoy the scenery without being dragged into another philosophical argument about murder, politics or the meaning of existence.
Their boss MJ, played by Steve Buscemi, has other plans.
Among the island's famous stone statues and extraordinary landscapes, Chris begins reflecting on the consequences of his career. When he befriends two rebellious young women, played by Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas, the agents' supposedly straightforward assignment becomes increasingly complicated.
Martin McDonagh uses the setting to construct another of his wonderfully uncomfortable relationships between men who are very good at insulting one another and considerably worse at communicating anything resembling affection.
The dialogue is fast, profane and frequently hilarious. Beneath the jokes, however, lies something more melancholy: two men approaching the end of an era, wondering whether a lifetime of terrible decisions can ever be redeemed.
Think In Bruges transported to the Pacific Ocean, with more geopolitics, fewer medieval buildings and considerably larger statues.
Trailer
Check out the trailer below.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Why you might like it
- Eyes: The dramatic landscapes of Rapa Nui, its monumental moai statues and cinematography by Ben Davis give the film an extraordinary backdrop for what is essentially an intimate, dialogue-driven story.
- Heart: Malkovich and Rockwell bring unexpected tenderness to two deeply compromised characters, exploring friendship, loyalty, ageing and the possibility of forgiveness.
- Mind: The film confronts American intervention in Latin America, the moral consequences of political violence and the uneasy relationship between personal guilt and historical responsibility.
Critical reception
Wild Horse Nine has received an excellent critical response, with John Malkovich's performance attracting some of the strongest praise of his career.
As of 3 November, Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 93% from 121 critic reviews. A Metacritic-syndicated tally recently placed it at 79 out of 100 from 28 reviews, indicating generally favourable reception. These figures may change as the international release approaches.
Time Out awarded the film five stars, praising McDonagh's combination of outrageous comedy and melancholy. Its review suggests that the film could rank among the director's finest achievements, with Malkovich delivering a particularly memorable performance.
The Telegraph and The Times were equally enthusiastic, both awarding top marks. The Telegraph singled out the chemistry between Malkovich and Rockwell, while The Times admired the film's irreverent treatment of mortality and the moral consequences of violence.
The Hollywood Reporter also praised the two leading performances, highlighting how the actors balance McDonagh's abrasive humour with an unexpectedly moving exploration of male friendship.
RogerEbert.com responded warmly to the film's reflections on guilt, redemption and the possibility of forgiveness. The British Film Institute's Sight and Sound praised the sharp chemistry between the leads while questioning whether some of the historical atrocities are treated too casually.
Not everybody has been completely won over. The Guardian gave it three stars, finding the banter entertaining but suggesting that the mixture of violence, masculinity and political commentary occasionally undermines the film's emotional impact. IndieWire and TheWrap were more critical of the storytelling and its handling of morally repellent characters.
The overall response, however, is strongly positive.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Awards and festival recognition
Wild Horse Nine had its world premiere in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September 2026, where John Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.
It is a significant achievement, particularly given the film's combination of comedy and drama, genres that do not always receive the same acting recognition as more conventional prestige films.
The film has also received two nominations for the upcoming 2026 Gotham Awards:
- Outstanding Lead Performance: John Malkovich
- Best Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
Additional festival recognition includes audience awards at the Santa Fe International Film Festival and Montclair Film Festival.
With awards season approaching, Malkovich is already attracting attention as a potential Academy Award contender.
Scene to watch for
Watch the conversations between Chris and Lee as they explore Rapa Nui.
McDonagh allows the two characters to wander between subjects with almost theatrical freedom. One moment they are discussing the absurdities of American politics, the next they are arguing about religion, death or the questionable achievements of their intelligence careers.
Malkovich delivers Chris's observations with the absolute confidence of someone who has spent decades believing he knows everything. Rockwell provides the perfect counterweight, reacting with irritation, disbelief and occasional flashes of genuine concern.
The island's enormous stone statues provide a wonderfully surreal backdrop. These two men have spent their lives influencing world events, yet they suddenly seem very small against monuments that have stood for centuries.
It is precisely the sort of contrast that McDonagh knows how to exploit, allowing an apparently ridiculous conversation to reveal something surprisingly profound.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Recommended pairing
Wild Horse Nine seems ideally suited to an evening that begins with a relaxed meal and ends with a long conversation.
Go for something hearty beforehand, perhaps grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes or a generous plate of comfort food. The film's combination of dark humour and political cynicism deserves something more substantial than a hurried sandwich.
Afterwards, find somewhere quiet for a drink and discuss whether people who have committed terrible acts can genuinely change.
Alternatively, simply debate which is the better McDonagh film: In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri or The Banshees of Inisherin.
That should keep everyone occupied for considerably longer than the film's running time.
Need-to-knows
The real history behind the satire
Wild Horse Nine takes place shortly before the Chilean military coup of 11 September 1973, when the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende was overthrown.
The coup brought General Augusto Pinochet to power and marked the beginning of a military dictatorship that lasted until 1990.
American involvement in Chilean politics during this period has been extensively documented. Declassified United States government records demonstrate efforts to undermine Allende's government, along with intelligence gathering and contacts surrounding the coup.
However, Wild Horse Nine is a fictional story set against this historical background. Its central CIA agents and their mission to Rapa Nui should not be interpreted as a documentary account of specific real individuals or events.
McDonagh uses that setting to explore the distance between the way powerful people justify their actions and the consequences experienced by others.
Why Rapa Nui matters
Rapa Nui, commonly called Easter Island, is a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, famous for its monumental moai statues.
The island's relative isolation provides an unusual setting for a story about espionage and international politics.
Rather than using anonymous offices and secret meeting rooms, McDonagh places his characters in a landscape shaped by an entirely different cultural history.
The film was shot on location in Rapa Nui and Santiago, with cinematographer Ben Davis capturing the island's dramatic scenery.
A familiar creative team
Wild Horse Nine is Martin McDonagh's fifth feature film, following In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin.
Sam Rockwell previously appeared in Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the latter.
The film also reunites McDonagh with composer Carter Burwell, whose music has contributed significantly to the atmosphere of his earlier work.
Burwell recorded the score at Abbey Road Studios in London, combining orchestral arrangements with instruments including the charango and ronroco.
Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey and musician Tom Waits provide additional eccentric personalities, while Chilean actress Mariana di Girolamo and Argentinian actress Ailín Salas play important roles in the island storyline.
