The Rider

Director: Chloé Zhao

5 Spirit Award Nominations, Including Best Picture

Young cowboy Brady, once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, is warned after a tragic riding accident that his competition days are over. Back home, Brady finds himself wondering what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: riding and competing.

In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identify, attempting to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America. Based on a true story, the film offers a fascinating picture of Lakota Sioux rodeo riders on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

A review in The Atlantic observes that Director Chloé Zhao “blends narrative with documentary seamlessly, giving the audience a glimpse into a way of life rarely seen on the big screen, without exaggerating its difficulties. She strikes another key balance, too: between conveying the dangers of Brady’s risk-taking, and capturing the freedom he feels whenever he’s in the saddle.”

Released in 2018
104 minutes
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