Malaise is a tricky thing to successfully pull off in cinema.

Done poorly, it can come across as heavy-handed or pedantic and create an experience that disengages its audience, leaving viewers empty and heartbroken.

While "Wild Horse Nine," the latest dramedy from writer-director Martin McDonagh, is not quite as impactful or audacious as his Oscar-nominated films like "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" or "The Banshees of Inisherin," its intensely introspective, thoughtful screenplay provides fertile ground for two veteran character actors to absolutely shine.