In 1950s post-war America, new beginnings and dreams were on the minds of millions of families. People long sought after security while others pursued thrills for a chance at living life to the fullest after dark times. Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel, On Swift Horses, tackles these competing ideals with empathy. The film adaptation, directed by Daniel Minahan and written by Bryce Kass, reexamines what the “American Dream” truly looks like when you don’t feel like everyone else. A combination of romance, gambling, and the exploration of sexuality, On Swift Horses should’ve been a sure winner. Unfortunately, it’s everything but.
The story follows newlyweds Lee (Will Poulter) and Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) after leaving their Kansas home for San Diego, CA to begin their new family life. Enter Lee’s brother, Julius (Jacob Elordi), who deviates from their original plan of stability. Julius is more interested in chasing the thrills of the moment, which takes him to Las Vegas, NV after the Korean War. After finding a job as a casino surveillance guard, he becomes acquainted with his coworker Henry (Diego Calva), who introduces him to a new lifestyle of adventure, love, and danger.
Something’s missing in Minahan’s film adaptation…
Throughout On Swift Horses, screenwriter Kass maps out several opportunities to intertwine the stories happening in parallel. For Muriel and Julius, that means corresponding through letters and sharing their updates on life. Unbeknownst to each other, they share more in common than they’d ever thought possible. For Muriel, a life of waiting tables gets boring quickly. Seeking any excitement, she comes across horse betting, and she’s really good at it too. Julius, on the other hand, is learning what real love might look like. In between gambling his earnings away, he spends time with Henry and fully embraces what this relationship offers him.
The tables start to turn when both Muriel and Julius realize that the life they once planned for themselves isn’t exactly what they wanted. It’s a realistic feeling that we can all relate to when things don’t turn out how we imagined or planned. But the major thing holding the film back from being a good [even great] one is the mere fact that it all feels disjointed. Of course, one could argue that such is life. However, the back and forth between stories and the handling of their decision-making felt a bit off.
On Swift Horses is timid in exploring its important themes.
The runtime also doesn’t help the boredom that I unfortunately felt while watching this feature. Clocking in at 1 hour and 57 minutes, it feels even longer. Perhaps it’s due to the pacing between storylines or set pieces that don’t really stand out one way or the other. Simply put, this is a story that works in concept and on paper more than it did on screen. Even though it holds great themes related to exploring sexuality during a time when it was deemed immoral, not many things happen of significance to reel in its viewers.
Another aspect of On Swift Horses that left me disappointed above all is the acting. With such a star-studded cast like this one, it’s almost expected that they deliver the goods. Unfortunately, nothing that happened on screen compelled me emotionally. I didn’t really feel that Edgar-Jones delivered a nuanced performance centered on the evolving feelings from curiosity to confusion to acceptance. Elordi was fine, as was the very underutilized Poulter. However, Diego Calva was the standout for me, delivering the raw, roller coaster of emotions necessary to be fully convincing.
Though I wanted to adore everything On Swift Horses had to offer, it ultimately did not work for me for its slow pacing, questionable acting, and timid exploration of sexuality during a time in which it was nearly forbidden. There’s a good adaptation in here somewhere, but it felt like a chore to get through. This story demonstrates the many facets of life—confusion, new opportunities, love, personal growth. And yet, I did not emotionally connect to anything delivered on screen. While it didn’t work for me holistically, I do hope that people see this film, as there is something in it for everyone.
