ON SWIFT HORSES
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, and Sasha Calle
Director: Daniel Minahan
ADRIANO
I couldn't have left the theatre faster once On Swift Horses ended. A truly dreadful experience, it may bring up some interesting ideas on sexuality and impulse, but it winds up being dull and shallow, evaporating any intrigue it ever presented. The cast is... decent. Jacob Elordi is clearly the best-in-show, but it gets so lost in itself and so visually ugly that I struggled to fully grasp what the central point of everything was. Some moments felt like they existed only to amp up the drama, but it ended up making me feel nothing.
KATIE
On Swift Horses tries to tell too many stories for its own good, presenting some compelling ideas around the glossy American dream juxtaposed with the pressure to conform through oddly convoluted and interweaving narratives that don’t allow it to dig beyond the surface. As such, characters all feel slightly underdeveloped, especially the relationship between Julius (Jacob Elordi) and Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) that the film is essentially built around, which wastes the talents of a stellar cast. Although the 1950s aesthetics are gorgeous and it's shot beautifully, On Swift Horses is a bland and forgettable drama.
PAIGE
On Swift Horses is a slow burn that does not leave me yearning for love. To be quite honest, it depicts one of the weakest love stories I’ve ever witnessed on screen. Despite decent performances from Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones, the supporting cast (Sasha Calle, Diego Calva, and Will Poulter) are completely underused. The script attempts to deliver a messy and unconventional take on longing for romance, but it falls flat due to the dull screenplay. Its story presents what should have been a hot and heavy whirlwind tale of love and desire, but ends up being a shallow and underwritten story that doesn’t dive deep enough into its themes.
This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.