Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris and Lee are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ. Amongst the Island's iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris's newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
The Garden Cinema View:
In the tradition of In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonagh offers another well-crafted, darkly humorous film about the complexity of male friendship. Wild Horse Nine thrives on evoking the grim atmosphere of a very particular 1970s moment, full of corrupt disillusioned CIA agents tasked with destabilising Latin American democracies. As always, McDonagh’s craft is sleek, with truly funny dialogue and strong performances, led by a viciously entertaining John Malkovich.
The film’s issue is of a similar moral nature to his aforementioned films. Isn’t McDonagh (and aren’t we) having a bit too much fun in the company of CIA agents whose day job is at the cost of thousands of lives? It is reminiscent of the ‘fun’ sexist and fatphobic comments of In Bruges. At the Venice Film Festival, McDonagh has said he wanted to make a pointed film about the CIA, questioning their morality. We would have liked a little more depth in exploring their guilt, to balance the amusement of spending time with these men.
