Writer and director Martin McDonagh's latest movie, Wild Horse Nine, had a triumphant run across film festival season before landing in theaters nationwide this weekend on the 2026 movie schedule. I’ve been excited to see it since I first saw the trailer, or really, since I heard the movie was getting made. I’m a big fan of most of McDonagh's work, and the cast includes some of my favorites, like John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, and Parker Posey. And there is a lot to love about the film. However, I can’t shake the feeling that I really didn’t care about Chris (Malkovich) and his fate, and that makes it hard to think of Wild Horse Nine as one of the best movies of the year.
There are spoilers ahead!
There’s A Lot To Love Here
As with some of McDonagh's other high water marks, specifically In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, Wild Horse Nine brings what I appreciate most about his work: a dysfunctional friendship. It’s that friendship and the banter between Chris and Lee (Rockwell) that I love about the movie. The dialogue is crisp, biting, and hilarious. It’s also touching. They don’t hate each other like the characters in the other two movies I mention. They love and respect each other. They trust each other with their lives (literally).
I also love the ridiculous premise of the movie and the over-the-top nature of it. Chris was JFK’s assassin, for example. Often I would hate that kind of plot point, but here, it’s just ridiculous enough to make sense. I also love that most of the movie takes place in an exotic location. Easter Island is a unique place, and you don’t often see movies set there. Every time there is a giant moai in the background or a wild horse (though they have nothing to do with the title, apparently) on the road, it adds to the surrealness of it all. I loved all that.
Poor Chris. I Just Didn’t Care
Chris is dying. He’s got cancer, and he is dealing with dementia. He knows he’s not long for the world and decides he’s going to go out on his terms, with an assist from his loyal partner, protege, and friend, Lee. Lee, meanwhile, is working with their boss, MJ (Buscemi), to take Chris out anyway. This is the heart of the movie, the motivation that keeps Lee and Chris going, but I, frankly, didn’t care.
That might sound cold-hearted, but I didn’t. I didn’t feel an emotional attachment to what should have been the emotional center of the movie. I almost feel bad saying this, but despite the great dialogue and the cool setting, the movie didn’t move me at all. It all just passed over me like a “good hang” rather than a film that tugged at me. It felt empty to me in that respect.
Wild Horse Nine is going to get a ton of attention come award season, and let me say that I am all in on Malkovich getting nominated and finally winning a long-deserved Oscar for his work here. I hope McDonagh is nominated for best director, too. I certainly hope Rockwell gets his flowers as well. However, this isn’t the best movie I’ve seen this year, and I’ll likely be pulling for another movie come Oscar time.
