The Mustang

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Violence    Drug Use    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens March 22, 2019

Runs 96 minutes

Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts) has been in prison for 12 years. He is preparing to move out of isolation and into general population. The prison psychiatrist (Connie Britton) finally gets him to admit that he is not good with people so she assigns him to outdoor maintenance - shoveling horse manure. Soon, Roman learns that a group of prisoners works with captured wild mustangs. They tame them, train them and then sell them at auction to border patrol, policemen or even ranchers. This helps with the wild horse population and it helps rehabilitate the men working with the horses. Roman watches these men day after day but he is really drawn to a wild horse that is kept locked away by itself, deemed too wild to tame. He feels a connection with that wild horse. Myles (Bruce Dern) sees him hanging around. He tells Roman that if he can last five minutes in the ring with that wild mustang, then he can join the program. Roman does it and soon joins the program. He struggles with his anger as he tries to bond with his horse, now named Marcus. His daughter Martha (Gideon Adlon) needs something from him but he is too angry to help her. Will Roman finally tame Marcus and maybe mend his relationship with his daughter in the process?

I loved this film. I am a sucker for any film with animals. These horses are beautiful, majestic and wild. Matthias Schoenaerts is amazing in this film. He is a big, hulking presence. He doesn't have much to say but he acts with his eyes and his body. When he and his horse Marcus finally bond, it brings tears to your eyes. This film draws from the real wild mustang training programs at several prisons across the country. Working with animals really does seem to tame some of these wild men in the process. This movie is definitely emotional. And, even though Roman is an angry and not so nice man, you can't help but root for him to tame his horse and maybe find some peace with his daughter. This is a really good movie. Go see it!!

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