In this episode of Editors on Editing, Glenn Garland sits down with Oscar, BAFTA and Eddie-winning editor Mikkel E. G. Nielsen to discuss his work on Wild Horse Nine, his second collaboration with acclaimed writer-director Martin McDonagh. Following their work together on The Banshees of Inisherin, Nielsen returned to the cutting room with a greater sense of trust and freedom, allowing him and McDonagh to explore the film’s performances, structure and constantly shifting tone.
Nielsen talks through the process of balancing a story that moves between comedy, drama, political thriller and existential meditation. He explains how even the smallest editorial adjustment can change the audience’s relationship to a scene—making it funnier, darker, more suspenseful or unexpectedly tender. At the heart of that process is what Nielsen calls “tonal control” that enabled a careful calibration of performances, setups, payoffs and moments of silence so the film can change direction without losing its audience.
Nielsen also discusses the expressive role of Rapa Nui. Its landscapes, Moai, animals and shifting colors are treated as more than scenery; the island becomes a silent witness to the characters’ histories and moral choices. The film’s mixture of digital cinematography, archival material, Super 8 and 16mm imagery creates a vivid period texture while giving certain passages the intimacy of memory or home movies. These formats help connect the personal story to the larger political history surrounding it.
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