Wild Horse Nine

"Sometimes you've got to do a terrible thing for the greater good."

2026 1h 57m EN

ComedyCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Sometimes you've got to do a terrible thing for the greater good.”

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Cast

John Malkovich
Chris
Sam Rockwell
Lee
Steve Buscemi
MJ
Mariana di Girolamo
Monica
Ailín Salas
Alicia
Tom Waits
Parker Posey
Marge
Paola Giannini

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Martin McDonagh
Writers: Martin McDonagh
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Martin McDonagh, shot by Ben Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sometimes you've got to do a terrible thing for the greater good.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Martin McDonagh directs. Ben Davis behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Mikkel E.G. Nielsen cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Martin McDonagh, shot by Ben Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Sometimes you've got to do a terrible thing for the greater good.".
9IMDB entry: tt15799564 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ben Davis
Original score: Carter Burwell
Editing: Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
Production design: Denis Schnegg
Costume design: Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh
Makeup / hair: Emma Scott
Stunt coordinator: Doug Coleman
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Wild Horse Nine (2026)

Also by

Martin McDonagh

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2026-10-10
★ 8/10
What makes not only Wild Horse Nine great but Martin McDonagh's work in general is that his films typically have a palpable two-person dynamic loaded with absurd dialogue and outrageous conversations, but they also flip-flop between being ridiculously mean and overwhelmingly somber. McDonagh knows how to make you laugh out loud one moment and sob uncontrollably the next, and it never fails to be pure cinema https://bit.ly/Wild9

Production companies

Who made it

Searchlight Pictures
US
Blueprint Pictures
GB
Film4 Productions
GB
TSG Entertainment
US

Key crew

ProducerMartin McDonagh
ProducerGraham Broadbent
ProducerPeter Czernin
ProducerAnita Overland
Executive ProducerOllie Madden
Executive ProducerFarhana Bhula
Production Sound MixerJohn Casali
EditorMikkel E.G. Nielsen
Production DesignDenis Schnegg
Costume DesignEimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh
"A" Camera OperatorDes Whelan
CastingSarah Halley Finn
Casting AssociateJacqueline Gallagher
First Assistant DirectorPeter Kohn
Second Assistant DirectorRyan Robert Howard
Supervising Sound EditorJoakim Sundström
Script SupervisorJeanette McGrath
Set DecorationNiamh Coulter
Unit Production ManagerScott E. Chester
Third Assistant DirectorIgnacia Ilabaca
Special Effects SupervisorFelipe De La Roche
Special Effects CoordinatorAndrés Bernal Bonilla
Stunt CoordinatorDoug Coleman
Makeup DesignerEmma Scott

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

central intelligence agency (cia)
1970s
easter island

Release history · US

When it landed

Premiere2026-10-01· Mill Valley Film Festival
Premiere2026-09-04· Telluride Film Festival
Premiere2026-09-18· Fantastic Fest
Premiere2026-10-04· Hamptons International Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-16· Montclair Film Festival / Chicago International Film Festival / Santa Fe International Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-18· Woodstock Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-14· Heartland Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-17· Newport Beach Film Festival / San Diego International Film Festival / Middleburg Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-15· Twin Cities Film Festival
Premiere2026-10-31· Hawai'i International Film Festival / SCAD Savannah Film Festival