Loved Wild Horse Nine last night! This is Martin McDonagh doing exactly what he does best. It can be absolutely hilarious one minute and incredibly dark the next, but somehow those two sides never feel like they’re fighting against each other. That very specific McDonagh humor is all over this thing. These characters can be talking about something incredibly bleak and somehow you’re still laughing at the absurdity of the conversation. John Malkovich is absolutely incredible here. This is the kind of performance that reminds you how great he can be when he’s given material worthy of him. He gets all the great McDonagh dialogue, but there’s so much underneath the sarcasm and eccentricity. You can feel this man looking back at his life, the things he’s done and the person he’s become and wondering what any of it actually meant. His chemistry with Sam Rockwell is fantastic too. They genuinely feel like two men who have known each other forever. The constant bickering is hilarious, but underneath all of it there’s a real love and loyalty between them that neither one really knows how to express. Rockwell knows exactly when to push back against Malkovich and when to just let him go, and watching the two of them bounce McDonagh’s dialogue off each other is an absolute joy. But what really stuck with me is how reflective the film becomes. Underneath all the dark humor is a story about mortality, friendship, regret and having to finally confront the choices you’ve made in your life. It’s funny, sad, uncomfortable and surprisingly moving. Wild Horse Nine has all the sharp dialogue and pitch-black comedy you expect from Martin McDonagh, but there’s a real sadness and humanity underneath it. And by the end, it hits a lot harder than you expect it to. #TIFF2026