On Swift Horses – Film Review
by Brian Merriman

Directed by Daniel Minihan
Screenplay by Bryce Kass
Based on On Swift horses by Shannon Pufahl
Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Muriel Edwards Walker, Jacob Elordi as Julius, Will Poulter as Lee Walker, Diego Calva as Henry, Sasha Calle as Sandra, Kat Cunning as Gail, Don Swayze as Terence

On Swift Horses is quite a surprise. Set in 1950s America, it introduces us to a group of post-Korean War young people, who are anything but the saccharin stereotypes that dominated 1950s movies and the discourse of the time.

Jacob Elordi must not have had a free day in ages. He headlines this movie, channelling his inner Elvis to seduce, beguile and entrap so many as Julius, who is recovering from the horrors of war. He returns home to his brother Lee and his fiancée unannounced at Christmas, and the plots, twists and sub-plots that follow blow the wholesome depiction of America in the 1950s out of the water. There are no Stepford Wives here, but women and men in erotic, passionate, fluid and toxic relationships in a web rarely seen on screen. Elordi really does redefine masculinity in these contemporary times.

Bryce Kass, as screenwriter, nails the sexuality of all characters without excuse or apology. His depiction of love and lust is not fettered by labels, and hence, at times, you’d need a pen and paper to keep track of the relationships in, out and beyond marriage. This is all set around the purchase of a typical 1950s US new build picket-fenced home, gambling casinos and back street lesbian and gay social locations.

There is a stunning cast. Only one American actor (Calle), but Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones shines as the 1950s bride, smashing down all previous stereotypes with authenticity and determination. She and Elordi also have a role as Executive Producers, and their commitment to showcasing Kass’s complete and real character studies based on Pufahl’s characters makes a big impact.

Will Poulter’s Lee is so relatable. His 50s quiff, his hard-working dedication and a man who rises above familial dysfunction to plan and deliver the picket fence dream, is everything you would expect from a 1950s screenplay. But Lee, who does know his brother Julius’s complete self, didn’t factor in that both his wife and brother are not shackled by convention, monogamy or heteronormative compliance. Perhaps that is why he loves them both, despite the cost.

The chemistry between Edgar-Jones’ Muriel and the beautiful Sashe Calle’s Sandra is palpable. It is matched by Julius’s love for Henry, the Latin lover charismatically portrayed by Diego Calve.

These living on the edge lives and loves engage the viewer from the start. Their truths and deceptions push the pace to almost thriller levels.

On Swift Horses has been criticised for not being marketed obviously as an LGBT movie. Perhaps it’s time to stop doing that, as these characters are no different from any others who love, have sex, role-play, break trust, build relationships, and leave us guessing.

There is so much material here, the potential for new and ongoing stories in these complex and seductive lives remains open long after the final credits. Who ends up with whom? You’ll have to see this ground-breaking movie…or perhaps its sequel to find out.

On Swift Horses is a cinematic mould-breaker that may yet spawn a more enlightening genre of movies that reflect the passions of people, unrestrained by oppressive or limiting labels.