The Rider
Synopsis
When South Dakota rodeo star Brady awakens from a severe head injury, the doctors tell him he must give up the sport–one that is his passion but also his lifeline. Without it, Brady cannot support his mentally disabled sister Lily, and his alcoholic, gambling father, and faces a life of misery.
Our take
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.
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Awards & Festivals
Cannes Film Festival
2017 | Directors' Fortnight
Independent Spirit Awards
2018 | 4 nominations including: Best Feature
A sensitive and almost gentle film, holding within it emotion so intense my heart practically exploded.
Sheila O'Malley
December 14, 2018
While Chinese-born writer-director Chloé Zhao hasn’t attempted to turn the genre entirely on its head, her sophomore feature The Rider reshapes the traditional cowboy narrative in a way that both embraces and challenges western tropes.
Nikki Baughan
December 06, 2018
An exquisite blend of real-life and fictional narratives brought together by the universal struggle of reconciling your dreams with the constraints of the possible.
Rebecca Liu
September 20, 2018
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