Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
While participating in a rehabilitation program training wild mustangs, a convict at first struggles to connect with the horses and his fellow inmates, but he learns to confront his violent past as he soothes an especially feisty horse.
The Mustang is a quiet, powerful character study elevated by Matthias Schoenaerts' deeply internalized performance and striking Nevada landscape cinematography. The rehabilitation-through-horses premise, while not entirely original, is handled with restraint and authenticity. The plot follows a fairly predictable arc of redemption, and the ending, while emotionally resonant, doesn't fully surprise. Its strength lies more in atmosphere and performance than in structural novelty.