Where to start with The Rider……it’s good. It’s very good, but it is overly sentimental in parts. There are certain elements that just seem to be trying a little too hard to tweak emotions. But that’s the only bad thing I can say about it.

This is almost an experimental hyper real concept film. Real life South Dakotan Rodeo folk playing themselves, in a loose, fictionalized version of events that happened a few years ago. And it’s extraordinarily well done. I have absolutely no idea how Director Chloé Zhao got the actors to act like they did, other than to just be themselves I guess. Which is literally what they were doing. The story focuses on Brady, a talented Rodeo rider who is recovering from serious injury (played by Brady Jandreau). Then his father is played by his real life father (Tim Jandreau). His sister is played his actual sister…..and so on.

There are some heart-breaking scenes in which Brady goes to visit an old friend Lane Scott, played by….Lane Scott, who has some real life history of his own that probably needs looking up after you’ve watched the movie.

The plot and substance of the movie itself focuses on the tough lives of Rodeo communities in the Pine Ridge Reservation area. The harsh reality and pressures of life are shown as well as how important family and friendship is.

‘God’s Own Country’ was near the top of my movie list last year, and the same DoP Joshua James Richards nails it again here. There are some truly stunning shots of the landscape as well as some really tender moments showing Brady’s highs and lows. There is one particular scene where Brady breaks in a horse for a farmer that is hugely compelling. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen it was so real. At this early stage I’m tempted to rate it as a 9 out of 10 and it will be troubling ‘Cold War’ as the film of the year.
It is a huge achievement.