John Malkovich's New R-Rated Crime Thriller Debuts To Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

John Malkovich has a brand-new thriller called Wild Horse Nine that was just released in theaters, and it already has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score from moviegoers.

Wild Horse Nine takes place in 1973 and centers on CIA Agents Chris Carlisle and Lee Chesterfield at Easter Island before the Chilean coup. While there, they grapple with choices they’ve made in life and cross paths with two students who could upend the entire trip. Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star as the agents, while Steve Buscemi plays their boss.

After debuting at the Venice International Film Festival this September and earning Malkovich the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Wild Horse Nine is now in theaters. Initial reviews have been overwhelmingly positive on Rotten Tomatoes, with the film currently holding a Verified Hot audience score of 92%.

Moviegoers have praised the plot twists, cast (especially the chemistry between Malkovich and Rockwell), and cinematography. Some even went so far as to say Malkovich could be nominated for, if not win, an Oscar for his performance. Others acknowledged how relevant the story is to current events.

Critics have been equally enamored with Wild Norse Nine, which has earned a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and echoes the sentiment from audiences about the superb acting from the cast and the beautiful storyline.

Filmmaker Martin McDonagh, who helmed Wild Horse Nine, is no stranger to creating Academy Award-nominated movies. He was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for his 2017 film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and then earned nominations in the same categories (plus Best Director) for 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin.

Frances McDormand and Rockwell won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor for their respective performances in Three Billboards. Before that, McDonagh’s short film Six Shooter won Best Live Action Short Film at the Oscars. In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths also earned accolades and nominations during awards season.

The Banshees of Inisherin was McDonagh’s most recent project. Now he’s back as director, screenwriter, and producer of Wild Horse Nine, which has grossed $12.6 million at the box office so far, alongside other new films like Godzilla Minus Zero, The Cat in the Hat, and Ramayana. Producing with McDonagh are Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin and Anita Overland.

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Other cast members include Tom Waits, Parker Posey, Mariana Di Girólamo and Ailín Salas.

Their lead co-star, Malkovich, most recently acted in In the Hand of Dante, Sacrifice, and The Yellow Tie. He is best known for starring in Death of a Salesman, Dangerous Liaisons, Of Mice and Men, Being John Malkovich, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Secretariat, among many others.

Malkovich has received Oscar nominations for Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire but has yet to walk away with a statue. Wild Horse Nine could very well earn him another nomination, if audience and critical praise is any indication.

With the 99th Academy Awards set for March 14, 2027 (and nominations announced on January 21), only time will tell whether Wild Horse Nine becomes a big winner.

Wild Horse Nine

In 1973, CIA agents Chris and Lee are sent from Santiago to Easter Island on a covert assignment just before Augusto Pinochet’s coup. Their mission puts them in contact with two rebellious students and forces both men to confront unresolved events from their past.