Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
‘She Rides Shotgun’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on August 1st, Nick Rowland’s crime thriller ‘She Rides Shotgun’ stars Taron Egerton as a newly released convict who must reconnect with the daughter he hardly knows while fleeing a powerful white supremacist drug ring.
The cast also includes Ana Sophia Heger (‘Life in Pieces’), Rob Yang (‘Succession’), Odessa A’zion (‘Until Dawn’), David Lyons (‘Safe Haven’) and John Carroll Lynch (‘Ballard’).
Related Article: Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger Talk Thriller ‘She Rides Shotgun’
Initial Thoughts
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The story of a man trying to find common ground with a family member they barely know while also on the run from either A) the cops B) dangerous criminals or C) both is hardly the newest one within the crime thriller genre. But it’s all about the execution.
Fortunately, ‘She Rides Shotgun’, which has been all but dumped in theaters with almost no fanfare despite starring Taron Egerton, is much better than its treatment might suggest.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Co-writer/director Nick Rowland, working with Jordan Harper (on whose novel the movie is also based), Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, has crafted something compelling and watchable, that, while it may travel a largely predictable road, is infused with enough truth, grounded action and surprise to make it worth seeking out.
And Rowland, who previously made ‘Calm with Horses’, shows a real grip on how to bring a story such as this to the screen and keep it visually interesting –– helped by the moody, dramatic backdrop of New Mexico.
The shootouts feel painful and honest, and while the big finale is certainly loaded with drama, it doesn’t lose sight of the characters.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger star in ‘She Rides Shotgun’.
This type of movie flounders if you don’t have a believable dynamic between the main characters, but here Egerton (who is typically great) and Hager have true chemistry, building slowly as Polly’s feelings towards the man she barely knows as her father flourishes and she finds her strength.
Credit also to the likes of Rob Yang as the police officer trying to help Egerton’s ex-con (albeit with his own agenda) and John Carroll Lynch, who plays a violent, psychotic drug kingpin.
Final Thoughts
Ana Sophia Heger in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
A solid script with just a few predictable moments and excellent performances by the cast add up to a surprising small gem of a crime thriller that deserved better treatment than this.
This is one that may well find its audience when it hits streaming.
“All a father needs is a fighting chance.”
In the gritty, explosive action-thriller She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton stars as newly released ex-con Nate. Marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must… Read the Plot
What’s the story of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
The movie follows Nathan “Nate” McClusky (Taron Egerton) and his daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), on an emotional and terrifying road trip across New Mexico as Nate tries to escape his own past — or at least to protect his 11-year-old child from paying for his mistakes.
Along the way, driving a series of stolen cars from seedy motel to seedy motel, they take shocking risks, survive daunting threats, and become profoundly close.
Polly musters courage and insight well beyond her years, and Nate displays vulnerability and fortitude he didn’t know he had.
Who is in the cast of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
- Taron Egerton as Nate McClusky
- Ana Sophia Heger as Polly Huff
- Rob Yang as John Park
- Odessa A’zion as Charlotte
- David Lyons as Jimmy
- John Carroll Lynch as Houser
‘She Rides Shotgun’ opens in theaters on August 1st. Photo: Lionsgate.
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