'She Rides Shotgun' Review: An Indie With A Killer Right Hook
In a summer movie landscape overcrowded with superhero blockbusters, ‘She Rides Shotgun’ is a refreshing change of pace, delivering a powerful story of unconditional love and lost innocence set against a thrilling backdrop.
‘She Rides Shotgun’ centers on a convict recently released from prison named Nathan (Taron Egerton) who aims to protect his daughter Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) after his family is marked for death after making enemies with the wrong people while incarcerated, causing the two to go on the run and fight for their lives as they try to start anew. Joining Egerton and Heger in this impressive cast is John Caroll Lynch, Jamie Bernadette, Rob Yang and David Lyons. Fortunately, this talented cast and the potential of this father/daughter story aren’t wasted in the slightest.
This is a drama that simply doesn’t work if the pairing of Egerton and Heger feels awkward, unnatural or forced, but thankfully the two are electric together, not only making their fractured father and daughter relationship feel lived-in and authentic, but effortlessly delivering the beating heart of this story. Their scenes together are incredibly compelling, especially as the friction between them begins to dissipate as the two inevitably become closer and get to know one another on a far deeper level. Egerton, who has been making some inspired and eclectic choices in recent years, continues to show his versatility and delivers an anxiety-riddled, emotionally explosive performance that may just be the best of his career while Heger is a true revelation here, not only holding her own with every member of the cast, but showcasing some devastating work, perfectly capturing Polly’s feelings of terror, love, heartbreak and excitement as she takes this precarious and thrilling journey with her father. The young actress has a bright future ahead of her to say the least.
Director Nick Rowland also provides a deft, assured hand behind the camera, using some thoughtful handheld camerawork and voyeuristic direction that allows the audience to feel as if they are the run with the core duo. This is a case of the indie, low-budget look and feel working wonderfully for the story, creating a wholly immersive and even claustrophobic atmosphere as the stakes become substantially higher for this father and daughter. This is a film that isn’t remotely interested in looking or feeling like a big budget studio film and that works to its advantageous considerably. Rowland also doesn’t get in the way of the characters and the sharp, emotionally raw script. He lets the camera sit with these characters, with their anger, frustration, pain and exhilaration, never aiming to be too showy or self-indulgent. The film is a drama that puts its characters first and the thrills second, delivering tremendously well on both fronts for the audience.
The film also has an effective slow-burn, powder keg story that leads to a climax that is as entertaining as it is heartbreaking. Like this father and daughter, the viewer will never feel like they can catch a break, as it seems like the walls are closing in more and more with each passing second. Fortunately, the film has moments where its able to breathe, take a beat, and flesh out its core characters before the bullets begin to fly yet again. This is a film that earns its thrills instead of using them as a way to conceal its underlying and glaring flaws. For a film that was made on a modest budget, the action sequences it is able to provide are surprisingly visceral and enveloping.
As for issues, the film does suffer from a couple unfortunately. First and foremost, the secondary characters feel short-changed here and aren’t nearly as interesting and engaging as Polly and Nathan. Park and Lyons are given thankless officer roles and their storyline halts the momentum of the film when it shifts focus to it. Caroll Lynch, an always reliable and magnetic actor, is also wasted as the film’s main antagonist. While the film does an admirable job building up his legend and terrifying reputation, he doesn’t get enough scenes to register as more than a forgettable villain despite the actor’s very best efforts. The film’s length also becomes an issue, clocking in at nearly two hours. This is a fairly simple story that feels noticeably stretched far beyond its limits, dragging its feet as it heads toward the bombastic climax that brings the drama to its fever pitch. With a tighter edit, this could’ve easily been a far leaner and well-paced story.
She Rides Shotgun is absolutely one of the year’s biggest pleasant surprises, telling a powerful and deeply affecting father and daughter story anchored by two stunning central performances from Egerton and Heger. The film is concrete proof that big things can come in small packages, throwing a killer right hook that will leave audiences breathless and hungry for more of their story.