Wild Horse Nine director and writer Martin McDonagh spoke with ComingSoon’s Tyler Treese about his brilliant new movie starring Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich. McDonagh discussed the film’s characters, its exploration of truth, and whether he’s an optimist or a pessimist. It’s out in theaters on November 6, 2026.
“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,” says the official synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Martin, congrats on Wild Horse Nine. I really loved the film. I found a real beauty in John Malkovich’s train of thought and his sort of rambling philosophies. There’s a purity when he’s out of it and talking about whether moths can make it to heaven. He also has such a distinct speech pattern that makes it all work. How was it finding that sort of purity in a character that is otherwise so filled with messy contradictions?
Martin McDonagh: I guess some of that is in the writing, I suppose. He is a ball of contradictions. He’s dangerous. I’m not sure if you’d want to spend time in a bar with him, but a couple of hours in a movie, he’ll take you on a wild ride to places.
His stream of consciousness is kind of amazing. He’s learned about a load of crazy stuff like Molotov cocktails. You’re never quite sure if he’s lying or if he’s telling the complete truth half the time.
It’s a fascinating character to get out there. There’s no one more fascinating to play it than John Malkovich.
Yeah, I love that you mentioned never really knowing if he’s being truthful or not, because that theme of lying and looking to embrace truth is so interesting throughout the film. Sometimes you might just be an a-hole, and your truth is something people might not want to hear. What made you want to explore that in a time where facts seem to matter less and less, and the truth just gets brushed aside?
Yeah, well, I guess when he meets the Chilean students, that’s when he’s confronted. First off, he tells them the complete truth, even though it seems like a crazy lie about what’s going to happen to their country and the military coup that’s approaching.
Then things get a little nicer, and then they get far worse when she asks him to be honestly truthful.
Again, it’s just a fascinating character to follow, not knowing where he’s going to take us.
I find your films so interesting because they have this unique blend of beauty and nihilism. I’ve always been curious if it’s an optimistic pessimism or if it’s a pessimistic optimism. Would you say that you love humanity despite the flaws, or do you despise it more?
Martin McDonagh: I’ve always been curious too. I think it’s love humanity despite the flaws.
I was talking to The New York Times yesterday, actually. He was talking about how dark all my stuff is. I was talking about how hopeful they all seem to me. We’re completely at odds, I think. I see the hope despite the darkness most of the time. I hope other people do see it in the work.
I’m glad you do, actually.
I think the beauty, that’s what sticks with me about the films. My last question: this is John Malkovich’s best performance in a career full of great ones, in my opinion. What does it mean for you when your collaborations can really bring out the best of each other?
Just joyful, really. To even have him say yes to the film is a joy, because you know you need the best of their generation to play these roles. Sam is that of his age group, I think, and John is definitely that of his.
When you get on set with them, they’re two working actors who just love the job, love sparking off each other, and want to do great work. But I do think it’s one of John’s best performances in years. I love rewatching it. I’ve seen it a whole bunch of times. I can watch it a bunch more. I see new things every time. That’s wonderful.
Thanks to Martin McDonagh for taking the time to talk about Wild Horse Nine.
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