On Swift Horses

Directed by Daniel Minahan

United States

2024

119 mins

Unclassified 18+

Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter and Diego Calva star in this queer 1950s set drama about gamblers, runaways and dreamers. A steamy TIFF hit based on the acclaimed novel.

It’s the 1950s and Muriel (Edgar-Jones, Normal People) is just about ready to to swap Kansas for a new start in California with her beau, Lee (Poulter, Midsommar). But then Lee’s mysterious, charismatic brother, Julius (Elordi), appears on their doorstep. Never one to linger, Julius splits for Las Vegas as soon as he gets some cash together, but he leaves an indelible impression on Muriel. For her, it’s not so much an infatuation as an invitation to dream beyond the bounds of her mundane life. Julius, meanwhile, down on his luck, sparks a kinship with Henry (Calva, Babylon) while working at a casino. For both Julius and Muriel, pursuing their desires means cultivating a secret life, and possibly their own undoing. Based on Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel.

Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.

“On Swift Horses is about the shapes love can take, the varied lives we live and the many different ways one can make a home. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking and demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Here’s hoping it brings the romantic epic back into fashion.”

Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter

“Daniel Minahan's bisexual romance eschews conventional tropes to tell a story of love, horse racing, and how even our best efforts are seldom enough to secure fairytale endings.”

Christian Zilko, IndieWire

“A film driven by carnal appetites and a longing to break free of societal expectations. It features an electrifying performance from Elordi, along with detailed sets and stunning photography.”

Robert Daniels, Screen International

Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter

Tickets

Wed 4 June 2025, 8:30pm

Past Event

Ritz Cinemas Randwick - Cinema 5

Ritz Randwick - Cinema 5

Fri 6 June 2025, 6:15pm

Past Event

State Library of NSW

Sun 8 June 2025, 6:30pm

Past Event

Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace - Cinema 5

Hayden Orpheum - Cinema 5

Fri 13 June 2025, 6pm

Past Event

Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3

Palace Norton St - Cinema 3

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Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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