In Martin McDonagh’s new film, Wild Horse Nine, actors John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell portray two bickering CIA agents whose deep friendship masks the tension of their work. Set in 1973, the story follows the characters Chris and Lee as they find themselves idling on Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, following their involvement in the coup in Chile. As they navigate the isolation of the South Pacific, the plot touches on dark themes of memory, regret, and the weight of professional secrets. According to ‘E armuffs!”, Sam Rockwell, pausing his gushing tribute mid-flow and turning to face John Malkovich on the couch. Malkovich frowns. “I don’t mind it,” he says. Amid the crashing waves and the moai statues, chris and Lee are fresh from plotting the 1973 coup in Chile and are spinning their wheels on Rapa Nui. Which is hardly helping his mood, they’ve seen too much and sinned too greatly and now Chris has cancer. So he takes Lee aside and asks for one last big favour. “Shoot me in the head on Easter Island,” he says.
During a promotional stop in Venice, the team behind the film discussed the production and its themes. For McDonagh, the project represents a shift in his creative focus, noting that he is moving into a phase of filmmaking he describes as his first “old-man movie.” The script, which he began by writing the words “guilt” and “regret” on the first page, explores how historical patterns of covert operations can mirror contemporary geopolitical shifts. McDonagh pointed to the coincidence of the film’s production aligning with U.S. actions in Venezuela, noting that while the film was not designed as a direct commentary on the modern day, history often repeats itself.
The chemistry between Malkovich and Rockwell forms the heart of the film. Rockwell, who won an Oscar for his role in McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, describes Malkovich as a uniquely dangerous and charismatic performer. Their off-screen dynamic mirrors their on-screen rapport, with Rockwell frequently attempting to praise his co-star, only for Malkovich to remain characteristically stoic. Rockwell often jokes that he needs to use the word “earmuffs” to stop Malkovich from hearing such compliments, as he claims the veteran actor truly dislikes such praise. Malkovich, he says, is charismatic and dangerous, half masculine, half feminine; a unique combination and the perfect sparring partner. According to he’s one of the world’s finest actors and annoyingly modest to boot. “Earmuffs!”, Rockwell and pivots back towards me. “He hates hearing all this.
The film delves into the legacy of the John F. Kennedy assassination, an event McDonagh characterizes as the “God particle” of conspiracy theories. The director remains skeptical of the official account, and the film plays with these tensions, particularly regarding the “Dallas parts” of the characters’ pasts that they wish to keep buried. When questioned about rumors concerning his past collaborators—including the father of actor Woody Harrelson—McDonagh playfully mimes zipping his lips, maintaining that he has no specific information on such matters.
For Malkovich, the subject of historical skepticism is personal. He admits to having stopped voting after the 1972 election, stating that he does not subscribe to the current political system. “I’m not practising,” he says, referencing his life in France. Rockwell holds a slightly different view, noting that he continues to participate in the democratic process with “faint hope.”
Reflecting on the six-week shoot on Rapa Nui, both actors shared the difficulties of being away from home. Malkovich expressed that being separated from his two granddaughters was the most challenging aspect of the remote production. Meanwhile, the pair spent their downtime rehearsing lines and enjoying local culture, including Pisco sour cocktails, as noted by Rockwell’s partner, Leslie Bibb, who visited the set.
The film, which received a 13-minute standing ovation at its festival premiere, concludes with reflections on the nature of death. When asked where he would ideally choose to pass away, Malkovich recalled a past stage production of an opera based on Casanova’s memoirs. In that production, he would frequently stage a fake heart attack that would incite genuine panic among the audience, with dozens of patrons rushing to the stage. While he admits it is a “terrible” way to handle an audience reaction, he suggests it would not be the worst way to end a life.
The interview sessions reflected the distinct personalities of the cast and crew, with the actors maintaining separate paces and energies throughout the press circuit. As the promotional cycle nears its conclusion, the focus remains on the film’s narrative—a story of two men on an island, confronting the reality of their pasts and the secrets they are tasked with keeping until the very end.
