On Swift Horses starts with Julius (Jacob Elordi) returning from the Korean War, coming to see his brother Lee (Will Poulter) in Kansas at the house of his girlfriend. We soon learn Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) was left the house by her mother when she passed. Lee has one more tour to serve, and his plan upon returning is to marry Muriel and all three to move west to California together. We then go to Muriel working as a waitress in San Diego, where she picks up tips for betting on the horses. Lee wants her to sell her mother’s house so they can buy a home. She isn’t sure she wants to let go of the independent female legacy. Julius has made his way to Las Vegas and has a secret relationship with his co-worker Henry (Diego Calva). After Lee and Muriel buy a house, she enters an affair with her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle).
With this juicy plot, I was disappointed in how emotionally flat the movie was. It could have been a slow burn, but instead, it was just slow, with me checking the clock about every 15 minutes to see how much longer the film would be. I could not engage with the story or connect with the characters.
I enjoyed the work done by the costume department. As a fan of clothing at the time, I found myself focusing on the selections made and thinking of ways to modernize some of the outfits. Where can I find blue lace gloves and sunglasses that match?
More and more period pieces are telling the stories of those who had to hide the truth about themselves and who they loved just to survive. It was nice that the character of Lee, while life did not turn out how he had hoped, his acceptance that Julius and Muriel were who they were was a nice choice. It was also pleasing that there wasn’t a drunk/abusive male; these were just people trying to live in a time when they couldn’t live life to its fullest.
Director: Daniel Minahan
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content, nudity, and some language.
Selig Rating: 2 stars
Runtime: 1h 59m
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Genre(s): Drama
Movie Site: On Swift Horses website
Trailer: On Swift Horses trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.