The film world has been abuzz regarding John Malkovich’s performance in a pending film that has Oscar aspirations not only for him as lead actor but the film itself. The wait is finally over and it’s time to see if Wild Horse Nine and Malkovich both live up to the hype.
The film is set in the midst of Chile’s 1973 Chilean coup, veteran CIA agent Chris (Malkovich) and his partner Lee (Sam Rockwell) are on a on a mysterious, trust-testing mission on Easter Island. Chris though has other plans as he’s just found out that he is dying and he’s writing his memoirs in preparation. The pair’s CIA bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi) is nervous about Chris’ writing plans and the potential he has to spill the beans on his past CIA missions, including JFK’s assassination. MJ seeks to use Lee to keep Chris in check and stop writing the memoir or deal with Chris permanently.
From the onset, Wild Horse Nine is uproariously funny all the way through the film’s climax. Malkovich and Rockwell display the best onscreen buddy cop chemistry since 2016’s The Nice Guys, with Rockwell portraying the perfect straight man alongside Malkovich’s unpredictably unfiltered Chris. Their chemistry is indelible as a believable team of CIA agents with years of history between them that frequently alternates moment by moment between love, respect, and annoyance. Their comedic banter while frequent, never overpowers the story or undercuts the dramatic tension. Malkovich absolutely steals the show in one of the year’s best performances with his joke per minute dialogue that deftly switches to seriousness over the life he’s lived once the script calls for it.
And call for it it does as what really elevates Wild Horse Nine as a film is its mix of humor with levity as Chris grapples with regret in the face of his mortality. His career as a foreign operative has called him to take part in brutality and subversiveness against others, including his own countrymen. As he inches ever closer to meeting his maker, Chris struggles to come to terms with the part he has played in shaping the world around him and what it means for whatever awaits him on the other side of life. His exploits as an agent are effectively played for laughs, but the underlying seriousness of trying to right one’s wrongs remains and is interwoven within the black comedic elements of Wild Horse Nine perfectly. The emotion as Chris works to atone for his professional conduct makes what should be an annoying and detestable character into one who is sympathetic and the audience can root for redemption.
As Chris moves toward his goal it all culminates in a magnificent third act that is tense and thrilling while maintaining a perfect level of humor. It’s here where Mariana di Girolamo also shines in a pivotal supporting role as a leftist college student whom Chris befriends, representing a piece of the humanity that he is seeking to redeem within himself. Girolamo captures the innocence and the softer emotional side of Chris well and adds yet another dynamic element to a film already brimming with them.
Wild Horse Nine is one of the most entertaining films of the year and is certainly the most funny. The recurring gags, clever callbacks, pithy dialogue, and superb performances make this one of the most well rounded and well executed films of the year as well. John Malkovich has received much deserved awards buzz for his hilarious but heartfelt performance as Chris, but Sam Rockwell’s steady performance opposite him is just as impactful and emotional and worthy of its own laudits. You‘ll somehow be made to laugh and sympathize with CIA agents in a very rewatchable film that’s immensely enjoyable.
Image: Searchlight Pictures
