On Swift Horses Review: Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones explore their sexuality in this period drama

Plot: Muriel and her husband Lee are about to begin a bright new life, which is upended by the arrival of Lee’s brother. Muriel embarks on a secret life, gambling on racehorses and discovering a love she never thought possible.

Review: In 2005, it was considered radical that Brokeback Mountain would get a wide theatrical release, considering it was a homosexual love story. How times have changed. Two decades later, On Swift Horses is the latest in a long line of queer films that boast substantial star power and nuanced narratives about same-sex relationships. The stigma is no longer as prominent as it once was, but there is still something to be said about heterosexual actors playing gay characters. Still, it bodes well for box office performance when you have up-and-coming talents like Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones in those roles. On Swift Horses, based on Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel of the same name, is a period drama set in the mid-twentieth century, chronicling the parallel queer awakenings of two characters whose lives are changed in significant ways. It is a strong pair of narratives that each feels watered down by ceding focus to the other. While the powerful performances from Elordi and Edgar-Jones are worth seeing, the film itself does not quite work as well as it should.

Upon his return from the Korean War in the early 1950s, Julius (Jacob Elordi) reunites with his brother Lee (Will Poulter). The siblings planned to move to California and start a new life, which Lee wants his new fiancée, Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), to be a part of. There is an immediate connection between Julius and Muriel as they both sense they are kindred spirits. As Lee and Muriel move to California, Julius heads to Las Vegas, and from that moment on, their lives take parallel paths that intersect occasionally over the next few years. Muriel discovers a penchant for betting on horse racing while Julius uses his skills at counting cards to work for a casino boss (Don Swayze) trying to spot cheaters. Julius meets Henry (Diego Calva) and the two fall for each other. Muriel also explores an unexpected relationship with her new neighbor, Sandra (Sasha Calle), a bold and outspoken woman unafraid of her sexuality. As the story unfolds, Muriel and Julius keep their secret lives hidden from each other and begin to learn how to accept who they truly want to be.

On Swift Horses has a fantastic cast that is all more than up to the task of portraying these characters, hiding parts of themselves from those around them. Jacob Elordi, hot off his magnificent performance in Justin Kurzel’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, gives a similarly searing performance as Julius. Elordi plays Julius as stoic and quiet, his signature approach, as he uses his talents of charming manipulation to get what he feels he wants. Diego Calva, one of the best parts of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, gives Henry a charm and confidence that balances Julius. The pair has some steamy sex scenes, something far beyond what Brokeback Mountain could even have dared show twenty years ago. Elordi and Calva have an ease about them as they interact, but Julius’s journey on his own is where Jacob Elordi gets to shine. There is no doubt that Elordi is growing into one of the strongest actors of his generation as he combines his matinee idol good looks with provocative projects like On Swift Horses.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sasha Calle share an equally steamy run of scenes as Muriel’s path is much different than Julius’s. While Muriel is exploring her sexual nature, something that Sandra can bring out of her, Muriel is also testing the waters of her independence as a woman. Edgar-Jones has been stellar in everything from Fresh to Twisters, but On Swift Horses allows her not to play a genre character in any way. We have seen characters like Muriel before on screen, but Daisy Edgar-Jones never lets this character feel like a cliche. Sasha Calle also provides a strong supporting performance that should earn her more substantial roles. Of the five main cast, Will Poulter has one of the most challenging roles. Poulter plays Lee as a good and honest man who is surrounded by people who do not know what they want. In many ways, Lee is the most tragic character in this story, but only because he knows who he is from the outset, while everyone struggles to figure themselves out. All five excellent actors make for one of the better ensembles this year.

Director Daniel Minahan, best known for directing Ryan Murphy projects like Hollywood, Ratched, and Halston, along with HBO’s Deadwood: The Movie and episodes of Game of Thrones, does a good job of evoking the look and feel of 1950s California without needing to pepper the film with cliches and pop culture artifacts. There is a workmanlike approach to On Swift Horses that never tries to be cute or overly cinematic while focusing on the characters and their paths. The challenge comes from the lukewarm screenplay by Bryce Kass. On Swift Horses provides some obstacles and challenges for Muriel and Julius, but their development is muted by almost sleepwalking through their lives. Because On Swift Horses chooses a more subdued emotional tone, seemingly to avoid falling into melodrama, the film does not evoke any strong or visceral feelings outside of the sex scenes and a couple of fistfights. Mostly, these characters begin and end in the same place they started, with a slight change in their self-awareness.

What On Swift Horses could have learned from Brokeback Mountain was how to end your film on a powerful note. The journeys of the protagonists in both films could not be more different, but the neat, Hollywood-style ending of this movie is underwhelming to say the least. Daniel Minahan does a good job of allowing his stars to own the screen and showcase why they all are on the list of the next big thing, but none of them get to develop into more than who the characters are at the beginning of their journey. As a film, On Swift Horses showcases acting highlights from Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Diego Calva, Sasha Calle, and Will Poulter. Still, it does not offer enough to feel more than just ordinary. Movies like this should be better than just good.

On Swift Horses opens in theaters on April 25th.

On Swift Horses

AVERAGE

6

The post On Swift Horses Review: Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones explore their sexuality in this period drama appeared first on JoBlo.