Daniel Minahan’s “On Swift Horses” has everything a distributor could want on paper. It’s a film adaptation of a recent bestseller (Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel of the same name); it stars several up-and-coming Hollywood stars, like Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, and Will Poulter. And the film had a buzzy world premiere at TIFF last September.
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But will all that equate to box office success for Sony Pictures Classics, who release the film in theaters this April? It might, but the movie must overcome some tepid initial reviews (read The Playlist’s from TIFF here) to make it happen.
Here’s an official synopsis for “On Swift Horses,” courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics:
Based on the novel by Shannon Pufahl, ON SWIFT HORSES follows Muriel and her husband, Lee, as they begin a bright new life in California upon Lee’s return from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms. When Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible.
“On Swift Horses” stars Edgar-Jones, Elordi, Poulter, Sasha Calle, Diego Calva, and Don Swayze.
Minahan directs “On Swift Horses,” with Bryce Kass adapting Pufahl’s novel for the big screen. Producers on the film include Minahan, Peter Spears, Tim Headington, Mollye Asher, Theresa Steele Page, and Michael D’Alto.
“On Swift Horses” screens next at SXSW 2025 in March before it hits US theaters on April 25. Watch a trailer for the film below.
