On September 11, 1973, Chile’s democratically elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, was overthrown in a military coup d’etat. Led by General Augusto Pinochet, the Chilean armed forces seized control of the country and bombed the presidential palace in Santiago. The groundwork had been laid in Washington, where the Nixon administration and the CIA, eager to win the Cold War, had funded anti-Allende campaigns and imposed economic pressure that helped destabilize the country. This moment is the backdrop for Martin McDonagh’s new dark comedy, Wild Horse Nine. Set in the days leading up to the coup, Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), two longtime CIA agents, are sent from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). As the partners grapple with their dark past, Chris’s unexpected connections threaten to throw their idyllic getaway off course. —Clara Scholl