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As far as I'm concerned, 2024 was Daisy Edgar-Jones' year. The Normal People actress captured our hearts with her role as Kate in Twisters (as well as her viral Hot Ones interview with Glen Powell and "Apple" TikTok dance). But while Kate led a pretty adventurous life, her risk threshold is nothing compared to Daisy's newest character, Muriel, in On Swift Horses.
Living in post-Korean War California, Muriel's life with her husband Lee is disrupted when Lee's brother Julius arrives in all his addictive, charming glory. The film, based on Shannon Pufahl's 2019 book of the same name, made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. Here's everything you need to know.
What is On Swift Horses about?
Luc Montpelllier
On Swift Horses Plot
Muriel begins a new life with her husband Lee when he returns to California from the Korean War. But the life they're building together — and their future — changes forever when Lee's brother Julius, a headstrong gambler, arrives. Julius is attractive, charismatic, and hiding plenty of secrets.
According to the official synopsis, "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."
Luc Montpelllier
The story explores LGBTQ+ identity and desire in the 1950s, but does so with a hopeful tone rather than a devastating one. “The first scenes that we filmed were the scenes we had together, so we got all of that done with—when we were apart, we had put the groundwork in,” Daisy tells Vanity Fair of working with Jacob, who adds, "I believe Taylor Swift calls it an invisible string.”
"I loved the connection between gambling and risk-taking, and pushing the boundaries of her desire and what she’s looking for,” Daisy adds. “Muriel’s rebellion throughout the film is quite quiet, in the small ways in which she takes back her power by concealing things. A lot of what’s happening is behind closed doors.”
Who's in the cast of On Swift Horses?
Luc Montpelllier
On Swift Horses Cast
On Swift Horses stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Sasha Calle, and Diego Calva.
"It's not hard to make chemistry with Jacob because he's just so charismatic," Daisy said during a Q&A, via People, adding that the script "felt almost like reading poetry and so much of what happens is in the subtext."
"This movie is just about love,” Calle added. “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.”
Has On Swift Horses been released?
Luc Montpelllier
On Swift Horses Release Date
On Swift Horses premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, and is currently looking for a distributor. Check back here for news on its release date!
Watch The Teaser Trailer For 'On Swift Horses'
As charming as Julius appears in the teaser trailer, his brother Lee tells Muriel they live differently than he does. "He's just not like us," he says before a scene cuts to Muriel exploring her own "passions." Based on this, On Swift Horses appears to blur the lines of love, lust, secrets, and recognizing one's identity.
Read up on Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh's We Live In Time, which also premiered at TIFF last year!
Lead image via Robin Marchant/Getty Images
This post has been updated.
