‘Wild Horse Nine,’ With Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, Gets Venice’s First Rapturous Reception of 2026

Martin McDonagh's new film, Wild Horse Nine, has received a rapturous reception at the Venice Film Festival. The film stars Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as 1970s CIA agents stationed in Santiago, Chile, who are sent on a special mission to Easter Island. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film features a stacked cast of character actors, including Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, and Parker Posey.

The film's plot revolves around the two CIA agents, with Variety and TheWrap noting that McDonagh's scripts often start like the beginning of a joke. Deadline reports that McDonagh is now five for five with his latest film, following several Oscar nominations and BAFTA wins for his previous films. Time magazine praises the acting of Malkovich and Rockwell, stating that they are a joy to watch.

The film is set against the backdrop of the towering Moai statues of Easter Island in the 1970s, and TheWrap notes that the story takes place right before Augusto Pinochet's violent coup in 1973. While some critics, such as TheWrap, find the film to be dull and McDonagh's style to be repetitive, others praise the film's entertaining shape and the actors' performances.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hollywood Reporter, Time, Variety, Deadline, TheWrap — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.