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Wild Horse Nine and What’s Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Hosted by Aisha Harris and Stephen Thompson

23m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

The hosts discuss the new Martin McDonagh film Wild Horse 9, starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents on Easter Island in the early 1970s. The participants analyze why this international, historically grounded project succeeds where McDonagh's previous film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri failed, praising the chemistry, strong performances by Malkovich and Steve Buscemi, and the balance of dark themes with a naturalistic hang-movie vibe. In the second half, the panel shares pop culture recommendations, covering the 4K re-release of The Last Boy Scout, the Stanley Kubrick season of the podcast The Plot Thickens, and Danielle Ponder's new album Everything Has Changed.

  • Check out the newly re-released 4K collector's edition of the 1991 action film The Last Boy Scout from Arrow Video. 18:29
  • Listen to the Stanley Kubrick-focused season of the TCM podcast The Plot Thickens hosted by Ben Mankiewicz. 22:07
  • Explore Danielle Ponder's new album Everything Has Changed for a blend of blues, soul, and trip-hop. 22:51

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Podcast Sponsor Intro

    Opening sponsor messages and brief host introduction.

  2. 1:10
    Wild Horse 9 Overview

    Hosts introduce the film’s plot, setting, and cast.

  3. 3:03
    Critique of Wild Horse 9

    Hosts analyze the movie’s performances, themes, and historical context.

  4. 12:41
    Setting and Atmosphere Discussion

    Hosts examine Easter Island’s role and visual storytelling in the film.

  5. 15:28
    Wild Horse 9 Recommendation

    Hosts give final thoughts and recommend the film to listeners.

  6. 17:28
    "What's Making Us Happy" – Chris Klimick

    Chris shares a musical number and discusses a nostalgic film.

  7. 21:03
    "What's Making Us Happy" – Aisha Harris

    Aisha talks about a Kubrick podcast and her music discovery.

  8. 24:36
    Closing Remarks and Credits

    Hosts wrap up the episode, thank guests, and provide production credits.

Highlights

  • 1:10

    Wild Horse 9 Overviewstory

    Wild Horse 9 stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as two CIA agents sent to Easter Island for a mysterious mission in the early 1970s.

  • 4:14

    Malkovich's Mournful Performanceinsight

    John Malkovich brings a richer and more mournful performance to this film compared to his past villainous roles, tapping into a deeper reservoir of emotion.

  • 9:43

    Foreign Perspective Advantageinsight

    The guest argues that McDonagh succeeded with this international historical story after struggling with American domestic sociology in Three Billboards.

  • 13:50

    The Weight of Historystory

    A scene where Malkovich's character speaks to a Chilean student about the coup brings a sudden, heavy gravity to the film.

  • 18:29

    The Last Boy Scout 4Kinsight

    The Last Boy Scout receives praise as an archaeological specimen of 1991 cinema and a key Shane Black buddy-PI movie.

  • 22:51

    Danielle Ponder's New Recordinsight

    The host recommends Danielle Ponder's album Everything Has Changed, highlighting her luminous voice and mix of blues, soul, and trip-hop.

Quotes

  • “Wild Horse 9 is about two CIA agents who head to Easter Island for an unusual and mysterious mission in the early 1970s.”
    Stephen Thompson · 1:10
  • “I love that his character, Chris, is, he's kind of like a Forrest Gump of the CIA.”
    Aisha Harris · 3:17
  • “The actors have to have a ton of chemistry. That script needs to be so sharp.”
    Stephen Thompson · 5:10
  • “I think this is a great job of walking that fine line between these men have done horrible things, but also like, it's kind of fun to hang out with them and hear them.”
    Aisha Harris · 3:32
  • “The film was written and directed by Martin McDonagh, whose films include Imbrugge, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
    Stephen Thompson · 2:35
  • iXL 15:46–16:15
  • Subaru 16:17–16:45
  • BetterHelp 16:46–17:16
  • Midi Health 25:03–25:23
  • Google Workspace with Gemini 25:19–25:32

About this episode

Wild Horse Nine is a terrific new movie that stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as two CIA agents who head to Easter Island for an unusual and mysterious mission in the early 1970s. They bicker and banter constantly, but the film is more than just a hangout movie: It also reflects heavily on memory and regret. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), it promises to be a major player in this year’s Oscars race. Are you looking for another good hang? Check out these episodes: 'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/1226038398/one-of-them-days-turns-keke-palmer-and-sza-loose Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin tap into 'A Real Pain' https://www.npr.org/2024/11/20/1214145123/jesse-eisenberg-and-kieran-culkin-tap-into-a-real-pain Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour: Letterboxd https://letterboxd.com/nprpopculture/ / Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pchh Our weekly newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/pop-culture Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy

Transcript

0:00
23:04

4,423 words · 8 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • The Last Boy Scout
  • Wild Horse 9
  • Easter Island
  • Chile
  • HBO
  • Arrow Video
  • TCM Podcast
  • The Plot Thickens
  • Barry Lyndon
  • The Banshees of Inisherin

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated