Martin McDonagh’s movie Wild Horse Nine has finally premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, and John Malkovich has firmly cemented himself as an Oscars frontrunner (at least in my mind). However, I’m not the only one saying that. Many reviews for this dark comedy highlight the actor’s performance, with some even pointing out that a trip to the Academy Awards might very well be in his future.
Much like McDonagh’s other movies, like the beloved Banshees of Inisherin, Wild Horse Nine is a tragic comedy. And much like Seven Psychopaths and In Bruges, it’s also a film full of action. In it, John Malkovich plays a CIA agent named Chris, and he's on a mission with his pal/fellow agent, Lee (Sam Rockwell), that leads them to Easter Island. Both Malkovich and Rockwell give masterful performances in this film; however, it's the Being John Malkovich star who gives a true masterclass as he plays out the deeply sad yet funny journey Chris is on.
Critics can’t help but praise the actor, either. In Brian Truitt’s review for USA Today, he specifically said Malkovich should be in this year’s Oscar race, writing:
Malkovich is known for his oddball supporting roles, so it’s a treat when he gets to really do his thing as a lead. And he makes a meal out of Chris, a guy who’s maddening for those around him, yet is also an absolute hoot to watch. As a man who becomes almost an unreliable narrator of his own story, Malkovich brings an amazing amount of depth and a wry sense of humor to the role, so good it’s put him back in the Oscar race. (Considering he’s never got a golden dude in his iconic career, Malkovich has a good chance to win, too.)
Truly, a common theme among Wild Horse Nine’s reviews is the praise for Malkovich. Calling him “magnificent, wryly funny, a bit scarily intimidating, and moving in a way that can’t easily be quantified,” Deadline’s Pete Hammond had this to say about Wild Horse Nine’s lead and his partner in crime, Sam Rockwell:
Malkovich is the perfect if unexpected casting here and it is one of those performances that after you see it is hard to imagine another actor doing as well. Rockwell may not have quite the quotable off-the-wall dialogue McDonagh has gifted Malkovich but nevertheless anchors the relationship in such ways that really makes this story work as well as it does. Both are simply superb.
While not every review mentioned the awards race, many did note that John Malkovich was doing some career-best work in Wild Horse Nine. For example, Matt Zoller Seitz gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing in his review for Roger Ebert:
The movie gives you all this, plus some of the best acting ever done by Malkovich, Rockwell and Buscemi (who’s aging into his silver-haired scene-stealing character actor phase beautifully), a characteristically daffy (though fragmented) supporting turn by Parker Posey as Lee’s ex back home, and one wickedly quotable line after another.
There are some line readings in this film that will stick with me forever. Recalling a scene where a bug crawls on Malkovich while he’s narrating memories of his life without him noticing, Consequence’s Liz Shannon Miller noted that the actor’s performance is truly “remarkable,” writing:
He’s that locked in. Touches like that highlight the remarkable nature of his mind-blowing work in the dark comedy, a performance that gives Wild Horse Nine so much of its power — a movie small in scale but mighty in its themes.
This review is also headlined to note that Malkovich will “blow your mind and break your heart.” I’d also like to add that he’ll make you laugh, and it’s how he manages to balance all of that that makes his performance so Oscar-worthy.
The CBC’s review for Wild Horse Nine notes that both Rockwell and Malkovich have “generated a wave of very credible Oscar campaign buzz.” Meanwhile, David Fear wrote that it was the Con Air actor FTW in his piece for Rolling Stone:
But this is a John Malkovich for-the-win affair. And his interpretation of Chris — sometimes cantankerous, sometimes childlike, sometimes flaky and forgetful, forever suffused with a metastasizing sense of guilt over his past misdeeds — is what makes the film draw blood even in its sillier, more surreal moments.
Now, if you look at the current predictions for the 2027 Oscars, both Variety and Gold Derby have John Malkovich listed as a top contender for Best Actor. He’s been nominated twice before in the Supporting Actor category (for Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire); however, despite all the great work he's done, he’s never won, and he’s never been recognized for a leading role.
I think Wild Horse Nine gave him the perfect opportunity to show off all his skills as an actor, and I really, really hope it leads to him taking home the gold in 2027. It would seem the critics have a very similar feeling too.
To see if you agree, you can check out Wild Horse Nine in theaters now.
