After a tragic riding accident, young cowboy Brady wonders what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: to ride and compete. In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brady tries to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.

In a masterful blend of documentary and fiction, The Rider’s characters play themselves in an intimate retelling of their own lives. Mental health and the pressures of masculinity are gracefully explored in Chloe Zhao’s contemporary take on the western genre, set in the patriarchal world of rodeo.