On Swift Horses

Based on Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel of the same name, On Swift Horses has a lot of things going for it – the starry cast of über-popular young actors (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter), lush visuals, sweeping romance, a rich period setting. While it doesn’t quite soar to the heights that combination might promise, it does deliver a textured, thoughtful drama examining queer love and repression in mid-century America.

Normal People and Twisters star Edgar-Jones is Muriel: when we meet her, she’s living with partner Lee (Poulter) in Kansas after his return from the Korean War, doing her best to avoid accepting his hand in marriage. When Lee’s charming but unreliable brother Julius (Elordi) visits, sparks fly between him and Muriel, and it sets off a journey of self-discovery in her. While Lee pushes for them to achieve the American dream, white picket fence and all, Muriel starts to quietly rebel, and explore her own desires. Meanwhile, Julius moves to Las Vegas, and gets caught up in a heady affair with the chaotic Henry (Babylon’s Diego Calva).

The sheer number of relationships between the ensemble make it a little unwieldy towards the end.

The performances are the standout element here. Poulter is warm and hugely empathetic as Lee, a man looking to counteract the tumult of his childhood with a stability that he doesn’t realise is suffocating Muriel. Elordi is at the peak of his charisma-machine powers, creating off-the-charts tension with every scene partner as well as conveying the depth of Julius’ inner turmoil. Sasha Calle is magnetic as new neighbour Sandra, who catches Muriel’s eye – but Calva is the one least served by a script with many moving parts to juggle, his Henry not given enough dimension for us to buy into Julius’ obsession with him.

Edgar-Jones is the MVP. Aside from looking truly at home in the stunning ’50s costumes and make-up design, she is the heart of this film. Her gradual exploration of gambling and her sexuality make for a compelling portrait of someone unfurling their wings, spreading themselves out to experience the fullness of life, and figuring out how to be authentically herself at a time where that was so incredibly difficult for those who didn’t fit into heteronormative standards.

Daniel Minahan’s direction is understated, focusing on capturing his subjects with intimacy and tenderness rather than invention or fancy flourishes, and Luc Montpellier’s cinematography sings on the big screen. But while you’re always interested in these characters, especially Muriel, On Swift Horses never really gets under your skin, and the sheer number of relationships between the ensemble make it a little unwieldy towards the end. This is a story about characters trying to avoid the trappings of conventionality, and the film itself may have connected a little more if it had tried to follow suit.