A quiet movie about an unpredictable convict who gets enrolled in a wild mustang taming program. These initiatives, common around the country, offer fascinating parallels: both the horses and the inmates are emprisoned, both innately fight against their condition but are actively being made to comply. The central performance by Matthias Schoenaerts is nothing short of a masterpiece. He doesn’t speak much and you almost don’t want him to: everything else he does communicates so much more than words. Watching this movie just for him is reason enough.
"I've been lucky enough to see equine therapy up close, and The Mustang brought the sensation back of having to slow down and breathe with a horse and in the process leave yourself behind."
— David Edelstein
While participating in a rehabilitation program training wild mustangs, a convict at first struggles to connect with the horses and his fellow inmates, but he learns to confront his violent past as he soothes an especially feisty horse.
"Schoenaerts's passion and the horse's grace make their dance-of-life-or-death indelible."
— Michael Sragow