Martin McDonagh’s first movie, In Bruges, found two contract killers killing time in Belgium. The Irish playwright and filmmaker’s last film, The Banshees Of Inisherin, found two pals coming undone on a rural island against the backdrop of major historical upheaval. Wild Horse Nine, McDonagh’s next dark comedy, looks to be something of a full-circle moment then as John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play two CIA agents sent by their boss (Steve Buscemi) to Easter Island just before the Chilean coup of 1973. Suffice it to say, if the first trailer’s anything to go by then Malkovich and Rockwell aren’t in for a sunny Oceanian vacation… check it out below;
Bickering killers, lovely scenery, a vague air of portent, and the promise of dark secrets and unexpected diversions (hello Parker Posey! Hello Tom Waits!) — yeah, we’re thinkin’ McDonagh’s back! And if potty-mouthed Rockwell and loose-lipped Malkovich’s first encounter with students Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas are a taste of what’s to come (“Your country’s gonna get fucked!” blurts out a blotto Malkovich after spilling that he’s CIA; “Your country’s gonna be absolutely fine,” Rockwell vainly recovers), then the stage is set for another blackly humorous provocation from one of modern cinema’s great provoc-auteurs.
The official synopsis for McDonagh’s movie reads: “Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). 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 (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.”
First floated back in 2021 with Christopher Walken and Oscar Isaac in the mix to star alongside McDonagh regular Rockwell, then revived with Mark Ruffalo aboard in early 2025, and now finally in the can with Malkovich set to enter the filmmaker’s illustrious rogues’ gallery, Wild Horse Nine is gathering some real buzz that this first trailer suggests is set to pay off and then some. We’ll find out whether McDonagh’s made another, er, killer when the Oscar winner’s latest hits cinemas later this year.
Want to make sure you never miss out on the latest movie and TV news, reviews, and Empire exclusives again? Click here to add Empire as your go-to source on Google Feed.
