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John Malkovich was visibly emotional as his new black comedy, Wild Horse Nine, premiered at the Venice Film Festival to lengthy applause.

Standing ovations – and long ones at that – are a time-honoured tradition of major film festivals like Venice, with films in years gone by raking in clapping and cheering that has been drawn out for over 20 minutes.

It’s a piece of theatre in and of itself and lends a certain prestige to movies straight out of the gate that are looking for a hungry audience to rock up to the cinema when they are released to the general public.

Certainly, if the response to the 72-year-old actor’s new movie from Banshees of Inisherin filmmaker Martin McDonagh, also starring Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey, is anything to go by, it’s one to watch out for.

The plot follows a pair of loose cannon CIA agents, portrayed by Rockwell and Malkovich, who become entangled in the US government’s involvement in the violent 1973 coup that overthrew Chile’s democratically elected president

Whatever magic this acting duo wove on screen, thanks in big part to McDonagh’s vision, it worked and scored them riotous applause that moved Malkovich to tears.

Plenty of celebratory hugs were exchanged between the cast and crew before the occasion took a more emotional turn.

Of course, Malkovich has plenty of iconic roles under his belt from a career well-lived, including Vicomte de Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons, Sir John Brannox in The New Pope, and himself in Being John Malkovich.

No doubt this latest one will be another notch in his decorated belt.

Wild Horse Nine review

Film critic Tori Brazier shares her four-star review of Wild Horse Nine straight out of Venice…

Martin McDonagh has a near-unparalleled sense of humour and knack for writing dialogue, which make his films consistently engaging. Pair that with an exceptional John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, and Wild Horse Nine is a wildly enjoyable experience.

You can read the full review here.

In fact, when asked about whether he’s eyeing up retirement or plans to keep working, the Hollywood star was thoroughly resolved.

‘As far as what I want to do – carry on. I mean, I’m pretty much doing, and I’ve been doing what I love my whole life, and I plan to carry on doing that.

‘I don’t plan to retire because I think they will retire me when it’s time. That seems to be the natural course of things,’ he said during a press conference.

Alongside the auditorium’s explosive reaction to the film, the critics have also shared their positive reaction.

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NME called it a ‘bitingly funny, bracingly tough feature’ while, specifically singling out Malkovich, The Hollywood Reporter called this role ‘his best in years, ranking with his finest work.’

There’s plenty more buzzy movies coming out of this year’s festival, so Wild Horse Nine is in good company. Robert Pattinson’s Primetime will also premiere to the baying crowds while Danny Boyle’s Ink, about Murdoch’s media empire, has already made quite the splash.

Wild Horse Nine premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2026. It will release in UK cinemas on November 6.


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