The 1950s were difficult times, but hope lay in the fact that many Americans were excited about a new decade filled with new opportunities. For some, safety had been the primary concern while for others it was the thirst for adventure that had probably been neglected during the trenches they had seen over the years, who hoped that the world would offer them a chance to live to its fullest once again. These two opposing values of American society are addressed with compassion in the 2019 novel of Shannon Pufahl, On Swift Horses. The same film, which is written by Bryce Kass and directed by Daniel Minahan, reshapes what the ‘American Dream’ is really all about if one doesn’t conform. On what would seem to be a definite winner for its intertwining themes of love, gambling, and sexual exploration, On Swift Horses fails miserably.
The plot goes on to track the undertakings of the newly married Lee (Will Poulter) and Muriel (Daisy Edgar Jones) after they left their state of Kansas in search for a more exciting life to San Diego CA. It is here that the third wheel in their happy marriage appears, Lee’s brother Julius (Jacob Elordi), who pretty much ruins their plan for a peaceful life. Hios real aim is to go after the rush that becomes available to him, which propels him to Las Vegas NV following the Korean War. In his new role as a casino surveillance officer, he soon meets his co worker Henry (Diego Calva) who becomes his guide to a world filled with new experiences, romance and thrill.
Through On Swift Horses, screenwriter Kass organizes several occasions to combine the parallel narratives. In relation to Muriel and Julius, it goes that they met through letters and informed each other about events in their lives. Thus, unknowingly, they find out that they have more in common than they would ever have thought possible. For Muriel, life as a waitress is not fun any longer. Trying to find some fun, she stumbles upon horse racing and, as it appears, has a natural flair for it. Meanwhile, Julius is discovering how true affection might feel. Between his gambling losses, he is spending time with Henry and enjoying what the relationship offers.
For Muriel and Julius, the vision they envisioned of their lives comes crashing down. In a way, it’s rather poignant how not all of our realities match our expectations. But what stops the film from being a good even great one is the fact that all in all, it is rather incoherent. Sure, one could say this is a part of life. Still, there were inconsistencies in how the stories were told and their causation frames as the stories progressed.
The duration was really laughable and unnecessary for this feature and just added to my read when watching it. Certainly, this comes across as a chore to watch as it is so prolonged at 1 hour and 57 minutes. This could also be attributed to the pacing between the main story plots or no definitive features that set them apart. Yawn except the ending, the idea of the story was more powerful than its execution in the movie. Though the movie has strong themes of sexual discovery and the conflict it brings to a character, very little memorable events happen to keep the viewers engaged.
The last thing that surprisingly struck me regarding On Swift Horses was the acting. With such a star studded cast like this one, it’s almost ghastly to see none of them coming through the way one expects. Unfortunately, nothing that happened on screen stimulated me emotionally. Quite frankly, I did not think that Edgar Jones portrayed a complex emotional journey from curiosity to confusion and eventually acceptance. Elordi was adequate, and Poulter looked good but was completely underused. On the other hand, for me Diego Calva was the one who stuck out, providing with all the emotions, a very convincing range of emotions that indeed struck me as fully believable.
I was wishing to go through euphoric emotions with all that On Swift Horses has to offer, but in the end, it did not suit my taste due to uninteresting plot execution, never believable acting, and extremely mild for its time views on same sexual orientation which must have been almost taboo. This piece has a good adaptation somewhere but when it is finally unearthed, getting there will seem like such a task. Such is the tale of this story that it explores numerous themes of life, intrigue, planet, love, self realization. And yet here, again, they manage to score a few goals: I did not feel emotionally engaged in anything that was shown on the screen. Overall though it did not appeal to me, I think viewers should watch the movie because there is something in it for everyone.
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