Martin McDonagh’s latest feature, “Wild Horse Nine,” held its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, marking a significant shift for the British-Irish filmmaker. After experimenting with various drafts—including stories about a father and son and another centered on two actors—McDonagh finally settled on a narrative involving the CIA and the 1973 military coup in Chile. The film, which is currently competing for the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion, is among the most anticipated entries this year.
The story follows two CIA agents, played by Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, during a trip to Easter Island shortly before the Chilean coup. McDonagh explained that the project evolved from a simple comedy into something more profound. “I realised then that the story could be about one of the guys experiencing guilt and regret over all these things he’s done,” he said, noting that the shift allowed for a deeper, sadder exploration of the characters. The central conflict focuses on the complex dynamic between Rockwell’s character, Lee, and Malkovich’s Chris, who struggles with the weight of his covert past.
The production faced logistical challenges, as it was one of the few Hollywood films to shoot on Easter Island, requiring the transport of cameras and period-specific vehicles. The ensemble cast also features Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, and Chilean actress Mariana Di Girolamo. For Di Girolamo, the film holds particular weight, as the events of the 1973 coup continue to resonate in her home country more than five decades later. Buscemi, a newcomer to McDonagh’s filmography, noted that he had actively pursued a role in the director’s work, leading to what McDonagh described as one of his best collaborative experiences.
McDonagh’s previous works, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” both debuted at Venice and earned multiple Oscar nominations. “Three Billboards” notably secured two Academy Awards for Rockwell and Frances McDormand. While speculation has already begun regarding potential awards for “Wild Horse Nine,” Malkovich emphasized that the film’s visibility is the most rewarding aspect. The actor, who had been unable to join McDonagh’s previous projects due to scheduling conflicts, praised the film for addressing the JFK assassination and the Chilean coup with intelligence and fairness.
The director utilized the film to critique the CIA, stating, “We know what the KGB are like but we probably don’t question the CIA as much as we ought to.” McDonagh expressed a desire to challenge authority, a theme present even in his less political work. He observed that the film’s historical focus on 1973 has felt increasingly relevant to modern geopolitics, citing the recent US capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an example of overt intervention. “They don’t seem to be making it covert anymore,” he remarked. “It just feels like things are getting stupider, and stupider and stupider.”
Following a 13-minute standing ovation at the festival, the film is scheduled for a theatrical release later this year. McDonagh remains curious about how audiences will interpret the movie’s commentary on current global affairs. “Watching it now it does seem to have sort of commentary on present day geopolitics,” he said. “It’s going to be fascinating to see how an audience takes it.” The report also notes that “I’ve had a long career, and I’ve had really spectacular collaborators and collaborations,” Malkovich said. The report also notes that “So I never feel in competition with any of them because generally I love what they do.”. The report also notes that the actor said he wanted to make sure he would be available for this one. The report also notes that but nothing was quite working until he started thinking about the historical event that had fascinated him since he was a teenager. The report also notes that he said, “the nicest thing is that the film gets attention.”, when someone suggested that “Wild Horse Nine” might be Malkovich’s ticket to an Oscar win after two nominations. The report also notes that “It’s a film that, with great humour, addresses two very traumatic occurrences – the death of John F. The report also notes that parker Posey, who plays Rockwell’s wife, even flew in to do off-camera phone scenes.
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