By Brent Lang
According To The variety Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones brought some heat to a chilly September night as “On Swift Horses” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The queer drama follows a card shark and his sister-in-law as they navigate their hidden desires during the height of the 1950s, an era where acting on these impulses could lead to ruin. It’s an erotically charged film, one that features plenty of sex between Elordi’s character, Julius, and Diego Calva, who smolders as a con man who becomes entangled with the mysterious loner. Edgar-Jones, who plays Muriel, the wife of Julius’ brother (Will Poulter), also engages in a steamy affair with Sandra, a bohemian neighbor played by Sasha Calle.
In a Q&A following the screening, “On Swift Horses” director Daniel Minahan said he was drawn to the story because it offered “a re-imagining of the American dream, except through a queer lens.” The film is based on a novel by Shannon Pufahl. Minahan liked the fact that the book had an optimistic tone, instead of telling a dour and relentlessly tragic story.
“She made a story about people who were hiding themselves, people who were watching, people who were exploring and trying to find themselves, and they end up connecting,” the filmmaker said. “It’s not a tragic ending to this story. It ends on a note of hope, and that was important to us all along.” How it ends, of course, won’t be spoiled here. And there are myriad complications before the characters tie things up — as well as scenes of compulsive gambling, rib-cracking gangsters and grifters, underground gay bars and some urban horse riding.
Elordi’s arrival drew shrieks from fans lined up outside the Princess of Wales Theatre, where the film played to a packed house (volunteers had to encourage moviegoers to stop taking photos of the star and keep filing into the auditorium). But the actor insisted that he had to try out for the role of Julius, despite his rising star status thanks to turns in “Saltburn” and “Euphoria.” His depiction of events didn’t exactly match that of his director.
“I had to audition for the film,” Elordi said.
“It wasn’t an audition,” Minahan insisted. “I love that you thought it was.”
“They made it feel like one,” Elordi said with a chuckle.
As Muriel, Edgar-Jones slowly emerges from a demure shell, coming to realize that she doesn’t aspire to a life in the suburbs. She wants something more dangerous and liberating. At first, that’s filled by secret trips to the racetracks to bet on the ponies. Later, it comes with long afternoons spent in Sandra’s arms. Edgar-Jones said she was inspired by Muriel’s example of pursuing your desires in a way that feels hopeful,” as well as her “small moments of rebellion.”
Elordi said that playing Julius allowed him “to be a cowboy.” To create the character, he channeled Kerouac and “got to be a kind of road warrior,” one who lived in “shitty motels” and wore leather jackets. “I felt the closest to American freedom that I think I’ll ever feel,” he said.
There’s no shortage of sex in “On Swift Horses,” but the actors felt the power of the film comes from the characters’ dawning realization that they have forged emotional, not just physical connections with their secret lovers.
“This movie is just about love,” Calle said. “It’s important to just feel that — whoever that might be, where that takes you. It’s important to feel that and to feel safe in it.”
“It’s also a movie about identity,” Calva added. “To be brave enough to find and follow and pursue your own path. And I think we all can connect with that.”
