In theaters this weekend is Wild Horse Nine, the fifth feature-length motion picture from acclaimed filmmaker Martin McDonagh. Nearly every movie he has written and directed has received Oscar attention. Will Wild Horse Nine be next?
The plot follows CIA bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi), who dispatches agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup d’état. There, the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies. Meanwhile, Chris’ newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways. The cast also includes Tom Waits, Parker Posey, Mariana di Girolamo, and Ailín Salas.
Here’s a look back at McDonagh’s Oscar history:
“SIX SHOOTER” (2004)
McDonagh’s first time behind the camera was for this short. It was a dark comedy about a depressing train journey where an older man who had just lost his wife encounters a strange and possibly psychotic young oddball. The film starred Brendan Gleeson and Rúaidhrí Conroy.
After debuting at the 2004 Cork International Film Festival, it went on to receive a theatrical release the following year. At the 78th Academy Awards, McDonagh won Best Live Action Short Film, which also marks his only Oscar win to date.
IN BRUGES (2008)
Four years later, McDonagh made his feature-length debut with this crime thriller about two London-based Irish hit men hiding in Bruges, Belgium. After a job goes wrong, they await orders from their ruthless boss. The cast included Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, and Jérémie Renier.
In Bruges went on to receive recognition from various awards groups. It earned three Golden Globe nominations (with Farrell winning Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor) and four BAFTA nods (with McDonagh winning Best Original Screenplay). At the Oscars, McDonagh was recognized for his script, but ultimately lost to Dustin Lance Black for Milk.
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (2012)
Four years later, McDonagh was back with his second feature-length film. It follows a struggling screenwriter who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster’s beloved Shih Tzu. The cast included Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, and Željko Ivanek.
Seven Psychopaths is McDonagh’s only feature film not to receive an Oscar nomination, though it did receive recognition from other awards groups. It was nominated for Best British Film at BAFTA, a race it ultimately lost to Skyfall.
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017)
Five years later, McDonagh delivered Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The story centers on a Missouri woman who rents three roadside billboards to draw attention to her daughter’s unsolved rape and murder. The cast included Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage.
Three Billboards had a strong precursor haul throughout that season. It won four Golden Globes (including Best Film Drama), three Actor Awards (including Best Film Ensemble), and five BAFTAs (including Best Film).
At the Oscars, Three Billboards received these seven nods:
- Best Picture; lost to The Shape of Water
- Best Actress for McDormand (won)
- Best Supporting Actor for Harrelson and Rockwell (Rockwell won)
- Best Original Screenplay for McDonagh — lost to Jordan Peele for Get Out
- Best Film Editing — lost to Dunkirk
- Best Original Score — lost to The Shape of Water
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (2022)
Five years later, McDonagh returned with his fourth feature-length picture. The story follows two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their friendship, with severe consequences for both of them. The cast included Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.
The Banshees of Inisherin was a major contender throughout awards season. It won three Golden Globes (including Best Film Comedy/Musical) and four BAFTAs (including Best British Film).
At the Oscars, Banshees received these nine nominations:
- Best Picture — lost to Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Director for McDonagh — lost to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinrt for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Actor for Farrell — lost to Brendan Fraser for The Whale
- Best Supporting Actor for Gleeson and Keoghan — lost to Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Supporting Actress for Condon — lost to Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Original Screenplay for McDonagh — lost to the Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Film Editing — lost to Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Original Score — lost to All Quiet on the Western Front
That brings us to today, where McDonagh is back in the awards conversation with Wild Horse Nine. The film currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 77 on Metacritic, which classifies reviews as ‘generally favorable.’
According to the Gold Derby experts’ predictions, Wild Horse Nine is expected to receive seven Oscar noms for Best Picture, Best Director (McDonagh), Best Actor (Malkovich), Best Supporting Actor (Rockwell), Best Original Screenplay (McDonagh), Best Casting, and Best Film Editing.
