Editor’s note: [The following contains some spoilers for On Swift Horses.]

Summary

‘On Swift Horses’ explores self-discovery through Muriel’s journey of love with multiple characters.

The film showcases bold and secure characters like Sandra, Henry’s contradictions, and the complexities of queer love in the 1950s.

The actors discuss the beauty of interpersonal dynamics, character arcs, and the impact of storytelling in their upcoming projects.

Directed by Daniel Minahan, written by Bryce Kass and based on the book by Shannon Pufahl, the intimate human drama On Swift Horses follows Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who sets out to begin a new life with her husband Lee (Will Poulter) only to find herself on a very different path of self-discovery. When Lee’s brother Julius (Jacob Elordi) shows up, his desire to push boundaries opens Muriel’s eyes to the unexpected, leading her to long for something more. While Julius becomes entangled with Henry (Diego Calva), Muriel finds herself drawn to her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), but living in the 1950s keeps them both from ever being able to fully embrace who they are.
During this interview with Collider, co-stars Edgar-Jones, Calle and Calva talked about why they loved their On Swift Horses characters, how this project compares to Normal People for Edgar-Jones, shooting the moment Muriel and Sandra were dancing together, when Muriel and Henry’s paths cross, and how hard it was to not fit into specific boxes in the 1950s. The trio also discussed their upcoming projects, with the Twisters sequel for Edgar-Jones, Season 2 of Sugar for Calle, and Season 2 of The Night Manager for Calva.
The Characters in ‘On Swift Horses’ Want To Boldy Break Free From Boundaries

“We can love multiple people.”

Collider: When you guys first read this script, what were the aspects of the story or your specific characters that most stuck with you? Was there something that you felt yourselves most drawn to?
DAISY EDGAR-JONES: I absolutely loved Muriel’s arc. I thought it was so exciting to see that on screen and to read that in the script. The story really explores the fact that we can love multiple people and what they do to kickstart the person we become. I just loved her relationship with Julius and how they have this romantic-platonic thing. He’s like a mirror to her, of this version of her life that she can have. She’s also deeply in love with Lee. And then, when she meets Sandra, her life changes completely, just in the ways in which she pushes back. She has quiet ways of rebellion with her gambling, and then how that links with her exploration of her sexuality. I just found her arc extremely profoundly beautiful. I was really excited to take it on.
CALLE: I just loved how bold and secure and in her own skin Sandra was. I could really feel that she knew who she was and loved herself and accepted herself. Within that, within her security and within her growth, or to whatever got her there, to that place of security and love for herself, was the only way that she would have allowed somebody else to walk into her life, with the patience and grace that she gave Muriel to feel and experience. I love Sandra. I really resonated with her and with the beautiful relationship that she creates with Muriel and her life. In a time when it was illegal to be queer, she was still bright and that’s beautiful.
CALVA: I still feel really attracted to the contradiction that Henry is. He just wanted to be loved, but he can’t trust anyone. With Henry, I thought about a dog from the street that knows how to play humans, but he’ll never trust a human, even though he just wants to be loved. I love the contradiction that is Henry.
Because this is a relationship and self-discovery story, you really get time to explore aspects of these characters that you might not otherwise get to dig into. Daisy, did this experience remind you at all of Normal People, in that way?
EDGAR-JONES: It did. I’ve realized that I’m so attracted to the stakes of a real human life. I love big, epic disaster movies or superhero movies where the stakes are fantastical. But I find the stakes in just what it is to be a human being, when it comes to love and it comes to self-discovery, incredibly thrilling to watch and to play. And then, I also love the beauty of interpersonal dynamics. With Normal People, it was similar because it was really exploring a time in your life, in your early 20s, when you don’t really know who you are and you are trying to figure that out and how the people that you meet really help you to build that. The mistakes you make also do that too. With this, it was very similar, with a woman in her early 20s. The stakes for her are huge when it comes to what she stands to lose with Lee and also the way she wants to fill into herself. It’s just really beautiful to witness. So, I think I’m attracted to stories that explore that.
Daisy and Sasha, one of my favorite moments in this, even though it’s brief, is when you guys are dancing together in the living room in your underwear. There’s something so fun about that moment because you’re immediately reminded of the period because of the underwear that you’re wearing. What was that moment like to shoot, to have the joy and the fun of being together like that, but then also being faced with the reality of that, right after that moment?
CALLE: We had dance lessons that prepped us for that. We were really into the music when we were filming. It was a vinyl, and it was a moment where we got to enjoy that sense of musicality within the film. It’s interesting because the dynamic shifts a bit during that dance. Sandra holds the power at the beginning. I don’t know if it was intentional. I was so shy, and Daisy just walked right in and grabbed me and twirled me. I was in awe. It was very helpful for the character. It was an awesome experience. And then, it just becomes very heartbreaking. It’s so interesting because you get to see them be free and happy, and then it just switches, which is so real. It’s so real to have complexity within love and joy and anger and sadness. But it was a fun time. I loved that scene. That was fun scene.
EDGAR-JONES: I loved that scene.
Daisy, do you think Muriel even realizes how much she’s hurting Sandra, or does it take her having to be told that to really face it?
EDGAR-JONES: I think it’s a shock to her. That’s why I think it’s such an important scene. You realize that Muriel has been quite careless with Sandra, and she has been careless with Lee as well. Even though it’s really important and exciting to see her fill into herself, it’s also important that she learns that she has to be mindful of how that self-exploration can do some damage to the people that she cares about and loves. I think it’s really beautiful to see Sandra put that boundary in and really say, “This means something to me. I stand to be really hurt here and I don’t want to let that happen. You’re hurting Lee as well. Is this just a game to you?” And Muriel is like, “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know what it is to me. I’m figuring that out. But I have to be mindful that I’m dealing with a human that I really like and love and I don’t want to hurt them.” It’s such an integral part of her journey and I know that she’ll be forever better for really realizing the affect she can have on people.
Sasha Calle Has a Theory About What Happened to Muriel and Sandra

“I really do believe that Muriel finds Sandra.”

Image via Sony Pictures Classics

Having Sandra say to her, “You fuck your husband to feel normal, but you fuck me to feel alive,” is the most blunt and direct way to state exactly what’s going on. Was that always scripted that way?
EDGAR-JONES: I think it was. I don’t remember that scene changing. That was just Bryce [Kass]’ great script. It just encapsulated it so well. We played it a few different ways.
CALLE: I really do believe that Muriel finds Sandra after. With that realization of, “I’m a human, and you’re a human. Go figure yourself out and find me later,” I think that she does. For me, Muriel and Sandra end up together.
Diego, your character is probably the one who best knows himself and who he is and even how others perceive him. Does that make things easier or harder on him, living in that time period?
CALVA: That’s Henry’s contradiction. What he loves is not what he wants. He wants to be loved, but he’s been running away his whole life. He can’t trust anyone, so he acts against himself, in a way. To be that aware of who he is, which is an immigrant, a Mexican, and a queer guy in that time, it makes things harder for him because he’s conscious.
That moment when Henry and Muriel dance together without really knowing who the other one is was so interesting. What was that moment like to share? What did that moment feel like, knowing that there’s so much unspoken going on?
EDGAR-JONES: I was excited because we’d been on the same film but hadn’t had any scenes together. That’s not in the book. It’s movie magic that Bryce wrote in.
CALVA: I have to say that Daisy dances pretty well. She’s way better than me.
EDGAR-JONES: You’re a really good salsa dancer. It’s really beautiful. These two characters are united by this one person that they both really care about, but they don’t know it. I found it very beautiful to witness these two people at a time in their life when they’ve been untethered by everything, and they’ve found themselves there, both searching for Julius. That conversation is so tender and beautiful.
CALVA: And really so impactful.
EDGAR-JONES: I love that scene. It’s one of my faves.
Daisy, there’s an interesting sense that Muriel is inexperienced about life and yet has an openness to exploring it. Was that a tricky thing to find, or did it just come naturally as you were playing her?
EDGAR-JONES: The script was so beautiful as a launching pad. There’s a scene when Muriel is in the mirror and she’s trying out a masculine hairstyle, and I loved that because it said so much. In a world where there wasn’t much space held for that kind of exploration and self-discovery, or words to even label what that was, she’s feeling it out and figuring it out. Those little pointers, I found so helpful in tracking the character. There’s also the moment when she takes Lee and she really wants to make love to him in a way that feels different and more passionate. She has this version of life with Lee that she thought she’d have, and suddenly the world is opening up to her and she’s both enticed and fearful of it. The script was just so beautiful. It was all there for me to play with, which was great.
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sasha Calle and Diego Calva Talk About Their Next Projects

The trio have upcoming films and TV series on the horizon.

Image via Universal Pictures

Do you guys know what you have going on next?
EDGAR-JONES: I have a thriller, called A Place in Hell, with Michelle Williams.
CALLE: I have a film for Netflix, called RIP, with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. I adore them. They’re super sweet. And I’m filming the second season of Sugar with Colin Farrell in L.A.
CALVA: I did the second season of The Night Manager with Camila Morrone and Tom Hiddleston. Now, I’m unemployed.
What gets you excited about a project?
CALVA: I’m always looking for a director like Dan [Minahan], who really wants to tell a story. Working on a TV show was amazing and I learned a lot. But when you find someone that has this story inside of them that they really want to tell, that’s always something really important for me. That’s a game-changer.
Sasha, Sugar is such an odd and complex TV series. Was that part of the appeal for you?
CALLE: Yeah. I was really excited to work with Colin. The cinematography is so cool. The storyline is a bit odd, with the plot twist at the end of Season 1. I was also really excited about shooting on location in L.A. That makes it really beautiful and really special. I signed a really big NDA, so I can’t tell you what I get to do.
Daisy, is there any update on the Twisters sequel?
EDGAR-JONES: Everyone is like, “They need to kiss!” I had the best time on that job. No news on my end, but I would love to go back and chase some storms.

On Swift Horses

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Daniel Minahan

Writers

Bryce Kass

Producers

Bryce Kass, Christine Vachon, David Darby, Pamela Koffler, Peter Spears, Tim Headington, Nate Kamiya, Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jenifer Westphal, Alvaro R. Valente, Joe Plummer, Theresa Steele Page, Claude Amadeo, Michael D’Alto

On Swift Horses is playing in theaters. Check out the trailer: