With 2026 and so many blockbusters coming out, the smaller films are often forgotten. One of those films is Wild Horse Nine and should not go under the radar. We will be talking about it during award season. Let me just get to it: this movie starring Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich is amazing, even worthy of the Oscar for Best Picture. That’s right, I said it, it could be Best Picture of the year. And I’ll make an even bolder statement. It’s better than Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. From Fantastic performances to gorgeous cinematography and some of the best-written dialogue, this movie delivers in every way. It’s funny, sad, and heartwarming. There’s not a scene or piece of dialogue that is wasted. While this is not some action thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end, it is one of those films that keeps your attention and will make you want to watch it again. And for Martin McDonough, the writer and director, this may be his best film.
What makes this movie so good are the standout performances of Sam Rockwell and especially John Malkovich, who I firmly believe just won the Oscar for best supporting actor. The chemistry between the two actors and how they deliver their lines is a Master Class in performance. Plus, this is an incredibly engaging story. It centers on two CIA agents who, after coming from a South American country while trying to destabilize democracy, have to face an impending but certain death. As one of the main characters is dying and having one last adventure, the story not only becomes an emotional Journey to face death, but also explores whether a dying CIA agent will spill National secrets. It’s also a story about National Security, which makes it even more engaging. That’s all I will say, as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. However, it is the backdrop of this story that really brings these characters to life and makes their Adventure more meaningful. Steve Buscemi plays the South American Station Chief, who is also just as good in this movie. The humor, even while dealing with such a dark subject between the main characters, makes the story so much better. But make no mistake, this is John Malkovich’s movie and probably his best performance in decades. You love his character, you hate his character, but you feel for his character, as he is easy to connect with. There is sympathy within his character that’s not easy to pull off in most movies.
Mark McDonagh, as a storyteller, has this unique talent to bring about the chemistry between two characters who may be opposite to one another but make them sympathetic and easily grab our attention when diving into their story. One of my favorite movies that he created is “In Bruges” with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. It’s not easy to make sad characters sympathetic and heartwarming. That’s what he does with the characters of Chris and Lee in this movie. They’re not exactly good guys, but he forces us to look beyond that and connect with them through their pain and all of the other shit they have to deal with. Wild Horse Nine is very much like a long final conversation between two characters who are essentially saying their final goodbyes. There’s a certain beauty with that. On the surface, this may seem like some kind of spy Thriller, but it’s not. It’s a very human story about how we deal with death through sadness and humor and, more importantly, Love.
Now this is the part where I should tell you what I hated about the movie, and the truth is, I didn’t hate anything about it. It’s a great movie. You get the right amount of action. The humor is perfectly placed, and as I mentioned before, the dialogue is superb. Both Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich are great actors and never have a bad performance, even if the movie is not that good. But the foot both of them together where they feed off one another to drive a really great story, that’s movie magic. That’s fantastic storytelling. Even the pacing is perfect in this movie because, as I mentioned before, nothing is wasted. But if I did have one critique, it is very similar to In Bruges with its storytelling and themes about death. I do consider this movie a spiritual prequel, considering it’s set in the 70s compared to a modern setting with In Bruges. However, despite it feeling very similar, the same emotional connection to the characters is there and makes the movie worth watching. It may be overshadowed by some of the bigger Blockbusters coming out, but it’s absolutely worth seeing in the theaters. It’s worth the price of a movie ticket for no other reason than that Sam Rockwell and John malkovich’s performances may be the best of the year. That’s something you should not miss in theaters. I can easily vote for this movie to be the best film of the year.
