Wild Horse Nine review

Wild Horse Nine is hilarious. I loved this movie from beginning to end.

John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play two CIA agents with a long history together, much of it involving the sort of ugly things the American government has done around the world, particularly in Latin America. Malkovich's character is nearing the end of his life after a terminal cancer diagnosis. He wants his old friend to accompany him to Easter Island, but there's more to the trip than sightseeing. He wants Rockwell's character to kill him rather than face a slow, painful death.

That's a dark premise, but the movie is very funny. Much of the humor comes from the way these two men talk to each other. They've spent their careers doing terrible things, and they approach much of it with this wonderfully sardonic, callous attitude. The movie takes a similarly dark view of the CIA and its history without losing its sense of humor.

This is essentially a buddy dark comedy, and it reminded me of In Bruges in the way that the relationship between the two leads carries so much of the film. You need to believe that these men have a long history together and a genuine affection for one another. You also need them to be funny together. Malkovich and Rockwell have tremendous chemistry, and the film wouldn't work nearly as well without it.

It's really Malkovich's movie, though. He's extraordinary. This is the kind of role that's right in his wheelhouse, and he plays it so naturally that it almost feels as though he's making up the dialogue as he goes along. He's not stealing scenes from anyone. He's the center of the movie, and he owns every scene he's in. He's just genuinely funny and completely believable as this character.

Rockwell is excellent too. They're both terrific actors, and their exchanges are the core of the humor. I don't have one particular scene I'd point to as the funniest. It's the constant back-and-forth between them, the dialogue, and the way they respond to one another that makes the film so entertaining.

The cancer diagnosis is also essential to the story. It's not simply an excuse to get the characters to Easter Island. It's what gives Malkovich's character his motivation and explains why his friend is indulging him. The whole story pivots around the fact that he's dying, even as it finds humor in that very dark situation.

I don't have many criticisms. I thought this was just an excellent movie, very well done, and a joy to watch. I'm not going to give away more of the plot, because you should have the pleasure of seeing how it unfolds yourself.

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended. Get out and see this one.