‘Wild Horse Nine’ Earns Fresh Praise on Rotten Tomatoes, and Critics Say Martin McDonagh’s CIA Comedy Is a Double Act for the Ages

Martin McDonagh has never been a filmmaker who goes quietly. From ‘In Bruges’ to ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ to ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, his films pair razor-sharp dialogue with unexpectedly raw emotion. His latest, ‘Wild Horse Nine’, arrives with the weight of that reputation and a spy-comedy premise built for his style.

The film comes at an interesting moment for McDonagh. His last two features earned Best Picture and screenplay nominations, along with a combined seven acting nominations that yielded two wins. That track record has made ‘Wild Horse Nine’ one of the most closely watched titles of the fall awards season.

Now the critics have weighed in, and the verdict is strongly positive. ‘Wild Horse Nine’ is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 93% Tomatometer score from 120 reviews, ahead of its November 6 US theatrical release. It also holds a 76 on Metacritic, which indicates generally favorable reviews.

The story takes place shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup. CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Their trip is meant to be a quiet assignment, but two Chilean university students (Mariana Di Girólamo and Ailín Salas) threaten to upend their plans.

The ensemble also includes Tom Waits and Parker Posey. Buscemi joined the production in March 2025, replacing Mark Ruffalo. The film is a UK, US and Chile co-production from Blueprint Pictures and Film4, with Searchlight Pictures handling US distribution.

The strongest praise lands on the central pairing. Time Out gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, calling Malkovich a tour de force in an outrageously funny tragicomedy. SlashFilm called it perhaps McDonagh’s most emotional and incisive work to date, praising Malkovich and Rockwell as a superlative McDonagh duo.

Not every review is a rave, but even the cooler ones are warm. Empire gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the chemistry while noting that the political backdrop feels underdeveloped. The AV Club’s B-grade review argued that Malkovich steals the movie with a loose-cannon performance, and some critics have described the plot as thin by design. Little White Lies, meanwhile, framed the film as both a shot of pure entertainment and a grave critique of modern US foreign policy.

Awards chatter has followed. Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, where the film premiered in competition for the Golden Lion. Several critics have also predicted an original screenplay nomination for McDonagh.

When in Venice. WILD HORSE NINE hits theaters this week. Get tickets now! #WildHorseNine https://t.co/X4etrpp16b

— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) November 2, 2026

McDonagh has said he wanted to make a pointed film about the CIA and the damage it has done around the world. He has also said the historical piece, rooted in the events of 1973 Chile, has taken on unexpected resonance with current events. The idea reportedly came after he visited Easter Island years ago while seeking inspiration for his next project.

That balance of dark comedy and political bite is a hallmark of his earlier work, and reviewers have drawn the comparison repeatedly. Some see the film as a loose companion to ‘In Bruges’ and ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, a trio of Beckettian buddy movies. Others consider it a slightly familiar return to his wheelhouse, though one that is still a glorious place to visit.

‘Wild Horse Nine’ runs about 118 minutes and is rated R. It reaches UK and Irish cinemas on November 4 and US theaters on November 6. Cinematography comes from Ben Davis, and Carter Burwell composed the score.

With strong reviews, an acting win at Venice and McDonagh’s awards pedigree, the film looks set to be one of the season’s most discussed releases. The question now is whether audiences respond as warmly as critics have.

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