On Swift Horses Review: Elordi and Edgar-Jones Are Beautiful, But Is the Race Worth Running?

Director: Daniel Minahan

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones (Muriel), Jacob Elordi (Julius), Will Poulter (Lee), Diego Calva (Henry)

My Rating: 6.7/10

The Verdict

On Swift Horses is a sumptuously filmed, mid-century drama that benefits immensely from the magnetic presence of Jacob Elordi, where the film captures the aching longing of the era beautifully, but its split narrative often leaves the emotional stakes feeling fractured rather than fully realized.

The Full Review

The “Period Queer” genre has become increasingly crowded in recent years, and it now takes something truly special to stand out, and while On Swift Horses is undeniably a great looking film, it occasionally relies a bit too heavily on the striking presence of its leads to carry the weight of a somewhat thin script.

The Plot: Two Paths, One Secret

The story splits its focus between Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a newlywed in Kansas struggling with domestic expectations, and her brother-in-law Julius (Jacob Elordi), a Korean War veteran who heads to Las Vegas to work as a casino card sharp. 

While Muriel finds herself drawn into the world of horse racing and unexpected female companionship, Julius embarks on a high-stakes, dangerous romance with Henry (Diego Calva).

The ambition of the dual narrative is clear, but Julius’s storyline - set against neon-soaked casinos and dusty desert landscapes - is the more compelling of the two, where his scenes with Calva carry a sweaty, desperate energy. 

By contrast, each return to Muriel’s quieter domestic struggles slows the momentum.

Performance: Elordi’s Magnetic Grime

Jacob Elordi continues moving away from his “pretty boy” image and leans fully into a grittier, haunted archetype, and as Julius, he delivers a quiet, simmering performance, where his on screen chemistry with Diego Calva is incredibly strong.

Daisy Edgar-Jones is equally talented, but her character feels slightly underwritten, as Muriel spends much of the film gazing wistfully out of windows or toward racetracks. 

The metaphor of her emotional “gambling” paralleling Julius’s literal betting is clear, though at times it feels heavy-handed.

The 1950s Glow

Visually, the film is stunning, with high-contrast lighting and saturated desert hues give Las Vegas a dreamlike quality, while grain and warm filters lend the film the texture of an old Polaroid.

This polished aesthetic acts as a subtle commentary on the façades the characters must maintain, but I felt the beauty occasionally overwhelms the grit of the story underneath.

On Swift Horses Ending Explained: The Final Gamble

• The Note at the Chester: After searching for Henry all the way to Mexico and back, Julius returns to the Chester Hotel in San Diego. There, he finds a note pinned to the “missed connections” board - not from Muriel, but from Henry (Diego Calva).
  
  
• The Vegas Reunion: The note instructs Julius to meet Henry at the Aces High casino in Las Vegas, where the final shot - Julius mounting a horse and riding toward the desert sunrise - signals his refusal to settle for a “safe” life, as he chooses to bet on Henry one final time.
  
  
• Muriel’s Independence: Meanwhile, Muriel leaves Lee after he discovers her affair with Sandra (Sasha Calle). She returns to her mother’s house in Kansas - a home she secretly never sold - determined to live independently using her gambling winnings.

On Swift Horses Frequently Asked Questions

Is On Swift Horses based on a book?

• The film is based on the 2019 novel by Shannon Pufahl.

Where can I watch On Swift Horses?

• It is available to stream on Netflix, or to rent/buy on Prime Video and Apple TV.

What does the title "Swift Horses" mean?

• The title references the unpredictable nature of luck and desire. Just like betting on a horse, the characters gamble their lives on secrets that could fail them at any moment.

How long is the movie?

• The runtime is 118 minutes. The first hour moves briskly, though the final 30 minutes lean more heavily into a slow-burn aesthetic.

Also read my Heated Rivalry Review, The History of Sound Review, and The Moment Review.