John Malkovich acclaimed at Venice Festival for Chile-set black comedy ‘Wild Horse Nine’

John Malkovich dominated the red carpet at Venice, where audiences acclaimed his performance as a CIA agent in “Wild Horse Nine,” Martin McDonagh’s black comedy set in Chile before the coup.

Malkovich arrived at the Lido wearing a black suit jacket and a beige shirt with a conspicuous ruffled collar. Sam Rockwell, Chilean actress Mariana di Girolamo and Brazilian actress Ailín Salas joined him for the premiere. Di Girolamo wore a strapless white dress, while Salas dressed entirely in black.

The film follows two CIA agents, played by Malkovich and Rockwell, during the months before the coup in Chile. It also takes them to Easter Island, where both carry the weight of their past and a bleak present. The soundtrack’s inclusion of Mercedes Sosa’s “Thanks to Life” gave the Venetian red carpet a distinctly Latin American atmosphere.

Malkovich’s performance generated enthusiasm at the festival. During the press conference, some journalists encouraged him to prepare a speech in case of future awards. He responded that what mattered to him was that the film and its entire cast were “receiving so much attention.”

McDonagh returned to the Lido after successful appearances in 2017 and 2022 with “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “The Banshees of Inisherin.” He arrived at the Palazzo del Cinema with his partner, British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Kendall Jenner was also among the celebrities on the red carpet.

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receiving so much attention