Martin McDonagh has built a career out of finding the comedy buried inside tragedy, and with Wild Horse Nine, he’s delivered another knockout winner using that recipe. Coming out of its TIFF premiere, the film is already being talked about as one of the strongest titles at the festival, and after seeing it, it’s easy to understand why. Even though this is a trademark McDonagh movie, he still finds new muscles to flex here, and the result is easily one of his best films to date.
Set in 1973, the story follows two spies based in Chile, embarking on a personal trip to Easter Island. The period setting does nothing to dull how relevant the film’s themes feel today. That’s classic McDonagh, using distance to sharpen commentary rather than soften it. The chemistry between his two leads carries the same electric camaraderie that made The Banshees of Inisherin so beloved, except here it curdles and combusts in different, stranger directions.
John Malkovich gives what can only be described as a career-best performance in a role with several complex layers to tackle. This is a prime example of an actor completely disappearing into a character, and he does so effortlessly. Sam Rockwell matches his energy, bouncing off Malkovich with the kind of loose, live-wire energy that makes their scenes together the film’s engine.
Further down the cast list, Parker Posey works with a limited role but makes the most of what she’s given. Steve Buscemi turns in reliably solid, if unshowy, support. The real discovery, though, is Mariana Di Girolamo, who seemingly comes out of nowhere to steal scenes outright — a performance that suggests a genuinely bright future ahead.
Technically, the film is firing on every cylinder. The cinematography is gorgeous, finding painterly compositions in dusty, sun-bleached exteriors. The score complements the tone perfectly, shifting seamlessly with the tonal changes. The editing is patient, letting scenes breathe rather than rushing punchlines, and the pacing stays consistent across the runtime, which never feels bloated despite the story’s many detours.
And detour it does. What begins as a buddy comedy slowly morphs into something closer to a spy thriller, sprinkled with profound dramatic moments. There is also surprisingly more bloodshed than you’d expect. The tonal shifts shouldn’t work as well as they do, but McDonagh’s script, dense with social satire and razor-sharp dialogue, holds it all together. It’s genuinely hilarious, the kind of movie that plays even better with a packed crowd, and the writing here is top-drawer. If there’s any justice, this is the year McDonagh finally lands the Best Original Screenplay Oscar that’s felt overdue for a while now.
It’s not flawless. A few plot threads get left dangling when they could’ve used a firmer resolution, and the film could have benefited from another twist or two to keep the back half as unpredictable as the front. These are minor gripes, though, in a film that’s otherwise a riot from start to finish.
Wild Horse Nine is a compelling, richly written, and beautifully shot piece of work. It is arguably the funniest movie of the year, headlined by magnetic performances from the two leads. I’d be surprised if John Malkovich wasn’t at least one of the front-runners, if not the runaway lead, for this year’s Best Actor Oscar. Easily one of the best movies at TIFF this year.
Wild Horse Nine made its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026.
