Review of The Rider (2018) by Tvjerry — 09 Jun 2018

This film starts as a laconic look at a young rodeo rider who's suffered a major concussion (Brady Jandreau). As he begins to recover, he deals with the possibility that he'll never be able to compete again.

By the end, it's become an intimate and compassionate portrait of this sweet, talented man. What makes this even more compelling is that the cast is full of non-actors, including Jandreau, his real-life father and his sister, who has Asperser's Syndrome.

Their performances are all real and affecting. The scenes where Jandreau trains wild horses are especially fascinating. The creation of this specific cowboy world is made even more involving thanks to Chinese director Chloé Zhao's quiet observations and compelling use of real people (primarily Lakota Sioux).

This is an atmospheric and ultimately touching character study set in a unique culture.