In his newest, highly anticipated black comedy, Oscar-winning writer-director Martin McDonagh (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN; THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, FF 2017) trades the remote Irish island and small-town Missouri of his last two films for the tropical shores of Easter Island. Set in the early 1970s, just before the coup in Chile that overthrew Salvador Allende, WILD HORSE NINE follows a pair of eccentric CIA agents with a history of meddling in global events.

Like any excellent buddy film, contrasting personalities are key. Chris (John Malkovich) is an aging, eccentric officer in charge of mentoring Lee (Sam Rockwell), the brash, foul-mouthed protégé who just wants to enjoy the exquisite scenery. Conspiracies abound, paranoia ensues, and their trust in one another is pushed to the limits by their handler MJ (Steve Buscemi, also at this year’s Festival in THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK).

Along the way, the duo cross paths with two rebellious young women and the encounter spurs the ailing Chris to look back on his actions as a spy, unsettling Lee and threatening to derail the assignment. What was supposed to be a typical case of foreign intervention begins to spiral out of control.

With the cast rounded out by Tom Waits as Chris' brother and Parker Posey as Marge, Lee's wife, WILD HORSE NINE is a darkly funny story with McDonagh’s signature incisive dialogue slyly commenting on the contemporary political climate.

—Robyn Citizen, Toronto International Film Festival guide