The Director of ‘Banshees’ and ‘In Bruges’ on ‘Offensive Words,’ Punk Rock and His New CIA Movie

“Wild Horse Nine” is the latest movie from Martin McDonagh, who has several Oscar nominations for his earlier work — including “In Bruges,” “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” McDonagh joined David Marchese to talk about his career and the new film, which stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents deployed to Chile in 1973. They also talk about what he’s learned from his partner, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, how he thinks about critics who have called his work offensive and what his punk rock teenage self would think of how his life turned out. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/ma... [00:11] Martin McDonagh’s career and new film “Wild Horse Nine” [01:45] America’s actions in the world [04:04] “None of my characters are ever mouthpieces for my politics.” [05:39] Darkness and sadness in his work vs. his own happiness [07:24] Making art is hopeful [09:36] Being offensive vs. being provocative [10:40] The “gay countries” cheese scene [13:03] Political correctness and critiques of his work [17:24] Violence in his movies [19:37] Thinking about his legacy [22:34] Exploring male friendships in his films [26:19] Losing his Catholic faith, finding punk rock at age 12 [28:53] His anti-establishment image and ambition [35:19] Why name the film “Wild Horse Nine”? [38:19] McDonagh’s identifiable dialogue style [39:36] Tarantino, violence and creative influences [41:41] Partner Phoebe Waller-Bridge and what he learned from “Fleabag” [42:57] Navigating awards season [45:57] Can art change the world? “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”:    / @theinterviewpodcast   Discover the journalism Times subscribers get daily, free for your first month in The New York Times app. Download here: https://nytimes.onelink.me/Xpht/a6wzplra #martinmcdonagh #wildhorsenine #theinterview