Review: 'On Swift Horses' a Graceful Queer Film that Lacks Hunger

Bolstered by an excellent cast, "On Swift Horses" is a queer period romance containing elements of an epic scope about queer characters trying to find their place in the world.

Directed by Daniel Minahan, and with a screenplay by Bryce Kass adapted from Shannon Pufahl's 2019 novel, "On Swift Horses" stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, and Sasha Calle. Set in the 1950s, the film follows Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her husband Lee (Will Poulter), whose lives are changed by the arrival of Lee's brother, Julius (Jacob Elordi), returning home from the Korean War.

Muriel and Lee, also a Korean War veteran, start a new life, moving from Kansas to San Diego. Meanwhile, gambler Julius moves to Las Vegas, initially working as a sex worker and then at a casino spotting cheaters. He falls in love with his co-worker, Henry (Diego Calva), and they start a relationship.

Muriel begins secretly betting on racehorses (and hiding her winnings behind mirrors and in secret compartments she cuts in her purse). She meets Gail (Kat Cunning), a queer woman, at the track; Gail introduces her to a gay club and hotel. In a separate development, Muriel has a love affair with her lesbian neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle).

The great cast provide wonderful performances. Jacob Elordi (excellent in "Euphoria" and Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla") is compelling and provides a smoldering, brooding intensity, yet an equal amount of much-needed tender vulnerability. Julius never seems at ease anywhere until he meets Henry. We never learn much about Henry, though.

Daisy Edgar-Jones captivates as the unconventional Muriel but never offers quite enough interiority of her character – although that perhaps feels like the point, since Muriel wears a controlled facade of societal expectations, even when cavalierly engaging in surreptitious activities like gambling. However, Julius sees a kindred spirit through the veneer, as they initially bond over card-playing, telling her that she sees "through all the supposed to's" in life.

Muriel's and Julius' paths mirror each other, which I really enjoy. A gay man, he seeks salvation in a passionate love. A queer woman, she searches for autonomy (financial and emotional), explores her queer sexuality, and bucks conventional norms about what a woman should want and desire.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sasha Calle (great in Alessandra Lacorazza's queer coming-of-age film "In the Summers") share an electric and palpable chemistry, even when talking about quotidian topics like olives and eggs. Muriel and Sandra also have deep conversations about women's independence, as when Muriel shares about her mother or when they talk about home ownership. A musician, Sandra lives alone on a farm and often has parties with her lesbian friends. I wanted to see even more of Calle's Sandra.

Gambling provides Muriel with financial autonomy and freedom, and meeting Sandra opens her up to the possibilities of other kinds of lives she could live.

"On Swift Horses" often evokes other films, such as Todd Haynes' queer period dramas "Carol" and "Far from Heaven," as well as Golden Age of Hollywood classics like "Now, Voyager" and Douglas Sirk melodramas.

Awash in beautiful cinematography by Luc Montpellier, the camera often lingers on characters' faces as they grapple with existential angst and yearn for more. But the sex scenes often feel strangely tepid, lacking heat, hunger, and passion, which is particularly strange considering it's directed by a gay filmmaker.

While conjuring elements of past films, Muriel and Julius' friendship feels unique to me, an element Minahan said in the press notes' director's statement that struck him, reminding him of a "platonic romantic relationship" with a queer woman that occurred in his own life years ago. Julius and Muriel share an attraction, yet they also inspire each other and provide comfort, a sort of found family. Immediately drawn to each other, their bond spans time and distance.

Horses provide an obvious metaphor of freedom here, but racehorses specifically serve as a more accurate symbol. They run as fast as they can, but only in a contained, controlled, and often brutal environment, for a limited time, similar to the constraints of living in a patriarchal and heteronormative society.

"On Swift Horses" is a poignant vintage queer romance, a beautiful and well-crafted film featuring memorable performances about queer characters that resist convention and find their own path. While we need more queer films in all genres in general, I believe we need more LGBTQ+ period films, as we queer people have always been here. While it might not fully achieve the lofty heights it aims for, it remains a notable film in the pantheon of queer cinema.

"On Swift Horses" opens in theaters April 25.