On Swift Horses has all the makings of a real thoroughbred film. It features Hollywood’s next generation of stars in Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters), Jacob Elordim (Saltburn), and Will Poulter (Warfare). It has a built-in audience since the film is based on the book of the same name. And lastly – and quite frankly, most importantly to us – it has two heavy-hitting Latinos in the cast – Sasha Calle (In The Summers) and Diego Calva (Midnight Family).
Muriel (Edgar Jones), a country girl through and through, is content and at home on her farm in Kansas. Her boyfriend Lee (Will Poulter) is on leave from the Korean War over Christmas when the couple are surprised with a visit from Lee’s brother Julius (Elordim). Soon the three of them are making a pack to head to California once Lee is done with his service.
Once in the Golden State, things don’t exactly go as planned. Julius heads to Vegas and becomes lovers with a dark horse of a man named Henry (Calva). Meanwhile, Lee and Muriel buy a house together to get their own slice of the American dream. But she’s soon enchanted by their queer neighbor Sandra (Calle).
What unfolds next over the course of On Swift Horses is exactly what you would expect from a film set in the 1950s whose main characters are confronting their sexuality. A lot of hushed conversations, stolen looks, and “accidental” hand-brushing. What On Swift Horses does wonderfully is allow for the emotion to tell this particular story in lieu of dialogue. Many films try this technique and fail – I’m happy to report that On Swift Horses succeeds.
What I absolutely respect and admire about this film is that in both their relationships, both Sandra and Henry are confident and unwavering about their sexuality. Too often Latinos are put in supporting roles whose sole objective is to disrupt or sidetrack the main character. Sandra could have easily been the lusty Latina lesbian with bright red lipstick, long legs, and a short temper – aka a stereotype we’ve seen on repeat.
And Henry couldn’t just been the living representation of the wrong side of the track, there to tempt Julius but not much more. Sure, it’s fun to take a walk on the proverbial other side of town, but no self-respecting person actually wants to stay there. In On Swift Hourse, Sandra and Henry are most certainly not that.
In a time when gay clubs were raided and sexuality wasn’t discussed, these two Latino characters instead offer up a radical idea that being queer isn’t what defines them. They’re confident in their sexualities and carry that confidence separately from their relationships.
Henry is focused on his next big winning scheme. Sandra is driven to keep her neighborhood a community instead of just another exit off the highway. Both have other more important things to concentrate on than how society judges their love affairs. What’s more is that both of these characters know how to love and what they will accept in their relationships. That’s right, there are two multidimensional supporting Latino characters in the film. Oh, and they never even meet.
Without these beautiful Latino romantic interests, Muriel might still be looking for her individuality. Julius might still be in search of love.
Overall On Swift Horses is a slow, quiet, and beautiful film. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordim, and Will Poulter show their talents and stay in their lane. But for us, the film’s greatness lies in the supporting Latino cast and the nuanced characters they portray.
On Swift Horses is in theaters now. It is rated R.
