The blending of fact and fiction in The Rider is more interesting in theory than in practice. The film documents the choking death of traditionalist Americana, the fading legacy of the mythological cowboy. The film stars Brady Jandreau as a fictionalized version of himself (his character is named Brady Blackburn), a professional rodeo rider and horse trainer whose career takes a step back after one ride leaves him with his head caved him. Brady is left suffering from severe neurological trauma and is told to never ride again. Chloé Zhao’s film is a pensive meditation on a man’s heartbreaking search for an identity when everything he loved most is taken from him. Of course, Brady’s situation is far from rare and Zhao’s film is filled with actual rodeo riders who have been physically undone by their passion. I was reminded of Aranofsky’s The Wrestler in how the movie focuses on the spiritual beauty of something inherently dangerous and brutal, but in casting authentic riders in its sparse South Dakota setting, The Rider sacrifices legitimate performances, and Jandreau and the rest of them seem  to flounder at times with the film’s emotional baggage. The Rider is a mostly beautiful film, which understands the plight of its characters with great empathy, even if it isn’t always easy to buy into the acting.

 

Written and Directed by Chloé Zhao