The Rider is a 2017 American contemporary westerndrama film written, produced and directed by Chloé Zhao. The film stars Brady Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lane Scott, and Cat Clifford and was shot in the badlands of South Dakota. It premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2017, where it won the Art Cinema Award. It was released in theaters in the United States on April 13, 2018. It grossed 3.5 million dollars, making it a small success. The film was critically praised for its story, performances, and its depiction of the people and events that influenced the film.
Plot
All of the characters are Lakota Sioux of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Brady lives in poverty with his father Wayne and his teenage sister, Lilly, who has autism. Once a rising rodeo star, Brady suffered brain damage from a rodeo accident, weakening his right hand and leaving him prone to seizures. Doctors have told him that riding will make them worse. Brady regularly visits his friend, Lane, who lives in a care facility after suffering brain damage from a similar accident. Brady's father does little for the family, spending their income on drinking and gambling. To fund their trailer, he sells their horse, Gus, infuriating Brady. Brady takes a job in a store to raise money for the family. He also makes some money breaking in horses. With his savings, he intends to buy another horse but his father buys one for him and he bonds with it, as he had with Gus. However, his riding and refusal to rest cause him to have a near-fatal seizure. Doctors warn him that more riding could be fatal. Upon returning home, Brady finds that his horse attempted to escape, permanently injuring a leg. Knowing that the horse will never be able to be ridden ever again, he has to ask his father to put him down, after not being able to bring himself to do it. After an argument with his father, Brady decides to take part in a rodeo competition, despite the doctors' warnings. At the competition, just before he competes, he sees his family watching him. He finally decides to walk away from the competition and life as a rodeo rider.
Cast
Release
acquired the distribution rights in the U.S. and other territories two days following its premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Response
Box office
The Rider grossed $2.4 in the United States and Canada, and $1.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $3.5 million, plus $302,484 with home video sales.
Critical response
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 175 reviews, and an average rating of 8.46/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Riders hard-hitting drama is only made more effective through writer-director Chloé Zhao's use of untrained actors to tell the movie's fact-based tale." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, writing that its "style, its sense of light and landscape and mood, simultaneously give it the mesmerizing force of the most confident cinematic poetry." Former United States President Barack Obama listed The Rider among his favorite films of 2018, in his annual list of favorite films.
Top ten lists
The Rider was listed on numerous critics' top ten lists for 2018.
