Martin McDonagh's new film, "Wild Horse Nine," has premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it is competing for the Golden Lion. The movie, which received its world premiere on Thursday, delves into the CIA's clandestine operations, using the 1973 military coup in Chile as a central theme.

Initially conceived with different premises, including a father-son narrative and a story about two actors, the film found its focus when McDonagh began exploring the historical event that had long fascinated him. "I realized then that the story could be about one of the guys experiencing guilt and regret over all these things he’s done," the filmmaker said. "It took it away from being a simple comedy to something much deeper and sadder."

The film stars Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as two CIA agents on a trip to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 coup. McDonagh's previous films, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," and "The Banshees of Inisherin," also debuted at Venice and achieved critical success, earning multiple Oscar nominations. "Three Billboards" won Oscars for Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand.

John Malkovich, who plays one of the CIA agents, expressed that the film's attention is the most gratifying outcome. "I’ve had a long career, and I’ve had really spectacular collaborators and collaborations," Malkovich stated. "So I never feel in competition with any of them because generally I love what they do."

McDonagh noted that "Wild Horse Nine" addresses "two very traumatic occurrences — the death of John F. Kennedy and Chilean coup — with grace and intelligence and a kind of fairness." The film is among a few Hollywood productions filmed on Easter Island, requiring extensive logistics for cameras and period vehicles. Parker Posey, who plays Rockwell's wife, and Steve Buscemi are also featured in the cast. Buscemi described how he had actively sought to work with McDonagh, stating he "practically stalked" him at a previous Venice festival.

At its core, "Wild Horse Nine" explores the complex relationship between Rockwell's character, Lee, and Malkovich's character, Chris. Chris becomes increasingly agitated and forgetful, seemingly burdened by the weight of historical events in which he was covertly involved. McDonagh aimed to create a pointed critique of the CIA's global actions, asserting, "We know what the KGB are like but we probably don’t question the CIA as much as we ought to."

While conceived as a historical piece, McDonagh has observed its resonance with contemporary events, citing the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an example. "They don’t seem to be making it covert anymore," McDonagh remarked, adding, "It just feels like things are getting stupider, and stupider and stupider."

"Watching it now it does seem to have sort of commentary on present day geopolitics," he said. "It’s going to be fascinating to see how an audience takes it."

"Wild Horse Nine" is expected to have a theatrical release later this year and, given McDonagh's past successes, is being watched as a potential awards contender.