Giving in to secret passions is a dangerous gamble in Daniel Minahan’s romantic drama On Swift Horses, a sort of throwback to the star-driven, old Hollywood melodramas. In fact, it’s hard to think of a recent movie with a cast this gorgeous, in roles that allow them to show their beauty and talent in equal measure. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, and Sasha Calle star in the 1950s-set film, and that it attempts too much in exploring the quiet yearnings of young people at a time of repression is its biggest drawback, but the performances are worth your investment.
Edgar-Jones and Poulter play young newlyweds Muriel and Lee. He’s a soldier on leave from Korea, and he has designs of making Muriel his wife. He also has dreams of a happy, domesticated life in California, raising a family with her and joined by his carefree brother Julius (Elordi), already discharged from service. One thing is clear: Muriel loves Lee but she’s not fully on board with this marriage thing. When she first meets Julius, oozing charisma and shuffling a deck of playing cards like a sexy gambler, they have an instant connection.
On Swift Horses teases a soapy love triangle with Muriel coming between the two brothers. There’s a little bit of that, but not in the way you would think. Muriel’s and Julius’ connection isn’t physical. It’s more of a realization that neither is living their best life, trapped in the heterosexual expectations society has placed on them. Julius ends up in the place he was always destined, Las Vegas, where he enters a same-sex relationship with Henry (Calva), while Muriel marries Lee while longing for her brother-in-law’s presence. She eventually cures her unhappiness by sneaking off to romance Sandra (Calle), a brave neighbor living openly as a lesbian.
While On Swift Horses tracks Muriel and Julius’ lives in parallel, it’s her secret escapades that are the most thrilling. Edgar-Jones fully captures the complicated whirlwind of emotions within her. She loves her husband but can’t deny her true self. The extent of her double life includes a growing gambling addiction to the racetrack, and the winnings she keeps spirited away from her husband.
Luc Montpellier’s (Women Talking) dazzling cinematography captures sun-kissed California and Muriel’s colorful fashion sense, a stark contrast to the shadowy side she keeps hidden from others. It’s unfortunate that Bryce Kass’ screenplay, an adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s book, is too overwrought for a story that demands more nuance. Plus, outside of Muriel’s journey and Edgar-Jones’ wonderfully subtle performance, the other characters’ subplots are flat and aren’t given enough time to take shape fully. Everyone is fantastic with what they’re given to work with, and again, you’ll hardly find a group this striking. On Swift Horses is a handsome, heartbreaking, and worthwhile film but there was potential to be so much more.
Sony Pictures Classics releases On Swift Horses in theaters on April 25th.
