At TIFF 2026, Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’ premiered, a dark comedy following a dying CIA agent to Easter Island to reckon with his sins, featuring John Malkovich’s performance and Sam Rockwell in a supporting role. The film is set in Chile in 1973, with Malkovich playing Chris, a veteran CIA agent with terminal cancer, and Rockwell as Lee Chesterfield, his protégé. Chris is sent to Chile by his handler, MJ, played by Steve Buscemi, and reveals details of the upcoming September coup to two college students, Monica and Alicia, at the airport.
A Mission to Die
The true purpose of the trip is not a mission, but a personal one. Chris has chosen Easter Island as the place to end his life and has brought Lee under the condition that when Chris says the word “Arkansas,” Lee is to shoot him. This transforms the film from a CIA story into a more intimate narrative of a man accompanying his mentor to his chosen deathbed. The film is only the second feature film to shoot on Easter Island, following the 1994 film Rapa Nui.
Malkovich and Rockwell Drive the Film's Character Dynamics
John Malkovich delivers what is considered his best performance in almost two decades as Chris, finding the humanity in a man grappling with his past actions, which he alleges include involvement in numerous coups and the JFK assassination. Sam Rockwell, who last collaborated with McDonagh on Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, plays Lee with an “aggressive babysitter energy,” tasked with managing Chris’s increasingly erratic behavior while understanding the trip’s ultimate outcome. The film focuses heavily on the relationship between these two men, which leads to the underwriting of its female characters. Monica and Alicia, played by Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas, serve as amusing foils, while Parker Posey, as Lee’s wife Marge, has brief but funny scenes with little character depth beyond them.
Martin McDonagh’s Signature Style
‘Wild Horse Nine’ showcases Martin McDonagh’s trademark dark humor and absurdist dialogue, trademarks he has honed since his debut film In Bruges in 2008. While the film is known for its comedic elements, it also features slower, more introspective scenes that allow Malkovich to fully explore the weight of Chris’s life and his impending death. The film reconciles with the CIA’s role in ensuring American supremacy beyond the United States, set against the backdrop of the 1973 Chilean coup. Cinema from the Spectrum rated the film 5 out of 5.
