Jacob Elordi and Diego Calva starring in a gay film together was enough to set the internet ablaze. Would this decade-spanning drama be worth the wait? Thankfully, there is much more depth to On Swift Horses than just saucy screenshots. Director Daniel Minahan (Netflix’s Hollywood, Showtime’s Fellow Travelers) and screenwriter Bryce Kass (Lizzie) adapt the best-selling novel from Shannon Pufahl with an assured hand. Not only are we treated to sumptuous visuals and deeply complex character interplay, but also a near-perfect romance at the forefront. With fan favorite Will Poulter serving as the central orbit, a duo of strong closeted queer leads provide a pointed juxtaposition for both lesbian and gay experiences. Set in the 1950s, On Swift Horses delivers a quartet of enthralling performances in a compact and emotionally potent little package.
Vintage polaroids and music in the opening credits immediately establish a nostalgic atmosphere. At the core lies the parallel journeys of Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fresh, Twisters) and Julius (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn, HBO’s Euphoria), connected by the strand of Muriel’s husband and Julius’s brother, Lee (Poulter, The Maze Runner, We’re the Millers). In the beginning, the trio establish the idea of starting a life together in California. Julius has been discharged from military service, throwing a wrench into his plans to pool together money with Lee. Still, there seems to be a way to make a future happen if they just take the plunge. Leaving Muriel’s family home in Kansas, the film flashes forward six months, shifting the action to California.
Muriel now works as a waitress, whilst Lee has taken up a demanding factory job. Julius, however, never made it there. Julius makes money however he can, mostly by betting at backroom card games and blatantly cheating. Before long, though, he appears destined for a new destination. He rings for Muriel in the first of many conversations they will have with one another. She offers to send him money for a bus ticket to come back and live with them. The second he receives the cash, Julius heads off for his next destination: Las Vegas. Julius and Muriel share a deep, unspoken understanding—two people living double lives, never truly belonging. Their letters and calls keep them connected, even as their paths diverge. Julius pays forward a skillset about gambling that Muriel takes to heart, changing the trajectory of her life entirely.
While Julius resides in Las Vegas, the story really takes off. Here, Julius gets a security job at a casino where he watches from the rafters for cheaters. He meets seductive wildcard, Henry (Diego Calva, Babylon, Narcos: Mexico), under the same employ. What begins at first as a casual flirtation between the two evolves into a genuine connection. Henry introduces Julius to a life of thrill and danger, fueled by greed. Their sex scenes are electric—money, sweat, and secrecy leak out from every pore—but their relationship always teeters on the edge. Julius has a quiet, reclusive energy whereas Henry presents more brash and outspoken. Calva’s big expressive eyes make his character all the more emotive; Elordi, meanwhile, leans into the nuances of Julius, keeping his personal conflicts strictly insular. Julius and Henry ultimately engage in a relationship of intense passion and inevitable destruction. Throughout On Swift Horses, fans of Elordi will be treated to plenty of eye candy, particularly as Julius spends many scenes shirtless in his underwear, smoking cigarettes. His fashion is on point, too. Elordi’s lean, imposing figure perfectly fits the period clothes—a suave yellow jacket and fedora combination are a recurring outfit that suits the drifter wherever he travels.
Meanwhile, Muriel falls into a pattern of complacency, fueled by Lee’s traditional values. The duo move on with their life sans Julius, nabbing a model home in suburban California. Secretly, Muriel engages in her own ways to make money. Her rebellion sparks something else entirely, a deeply suppressed desire awakened by nearby neighbor, Sandra (Sasha Calle, The Young and the Restless, The Flash). Their love feels softer than Julius and Henry, yet just as fragile. Muriel’s lesbian sexuality is not just a light appetizer, but a main course in her arc. Edgar-Jones gives my favorite performance of her career thus far. In Muriel, she stays in constant conversation with her innermost feelings. She connects with Julius on an entirely different level than her own husband, Lee. Though Poulter puts up a good fight and his Lee genuinely adores Muriel, Lee’s underwritten arc comes up short in relation to the bigger picture of the slow-burn, character-driven story.
Julius and Muriel live in a world where they can never fully be themselves in public—Julius, a closeted gay man navigating a dangerous world of crime, and Muriel, married to Lee yet discovering her repressed attraction to women. Gambling looms large over the narrative as it progresses, between horse races, card games, and casino scheming. Luck and risk reflect the characters’ lives, as they are always a step away from losing it all, yet unable to resist the temptation. Muriel and Julius both chase dreams just out of reach—love, freedom, money, or a life that could have been. Torn between what they want and what society allows, screenwriter Bryce Kass explores queerness and the intoxicating pull of risk at great length. Each of the greater themes are weaved in beautifully, and given proper breathing room thanks to a relaxed pace.
Daniel Minahan’s drama has been gorgeously crafted from top to bottom. The cinematography is stunning, capturing the melancholy and beauty of longing. Between smoke-filled casinos, horse races drenched in golden light, neon-lit motel rooms, and authentic scenes of intimate queer love, cinematographer Luc Montpellier finds the gorgeous qualities in surprising places. The sun-bleached landscapes of California, the glitzy yet seedy underbelly of Las Vegas, and the dusty streets of Tijuana add texture to the film’s world. Even the final shot provides memorable imagery. The underground queer scene is beautifully depicted—secret hotel bars, whispered names, stolen moments in bedrooms. One can only imagine just existing as a gay individual during this time, forced to keep their true identity hidden or risk horrific consequences. In this day and age, recalling the pursuit of freedom in an era that allowed little room for deviation from the norm feels incredibly important. Quietly heartbreaking yet tinged with hope, On Swift Horses presents a rare period piece that fully commits to its queer storytelling.
Go for a picturesque ride On Swift Horses, galloping into cinemas worldwide on Friday, April 25th.
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