Fierce, Focused, and Full of Soul

MOVIE REVIEW
She Rides Shotgun
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Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama
Year Released: 2025 (Lionsgate Limited Release)
Runtime: 2h 0m
Director(s): Nick Rowland
Writer(s): Jordan Harper, Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski
Cast: Taron Egerton, Ana Sophia Heger, Rob Yang, John Carroll Lynch
Where to Watch: coming to theaters August 1, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: SHE RIDES SHOTGUN doesn't try to be revolutionary on the surface—it just quietly earns your attention. What starts as a classic on-the-run thriller grows into something far more layered and emotionally intense. This is a story about a father and daughter struggling to reconnect while the world hunts them down, and it’s executed with a level of grit and soul that sneaks up on you. What you don’t necessarily expect is two performances that outshine the experience itself. Even if the film isn’t perfect, the heart and acting at its core deliver.

Adapted from Jordan Harper’s award-winning novel, the film finds ex-con Nate (Taron Egerton) on the outside again, this time not running from the law but running to stay alive. Targeted by dangerous enemies with a deep reach—including a gang with ties to a corrupt sheriff—Nate’s survival depends on staying ahead of the threat. But he’s not alone. Reuniting with his 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), whom he barely knows, Nate’s new mission is more personal and more complicated: protect a child who’s unsure she even wants him around.

Director Nick Rowland brings a patient yet unrelenting approach to the story. There’s violence here, but it’s never unwarranted—it always feels like a consequence, not a set piece. Rowland captures the suffocating quiet between shootouts just as well as he stages the most explosive moments. His focus, though, is clearly on the emotion, which turns this from a survival story into something deeply human.

Egerton has never been better. Nate isn’t a hero in the traditional sense—he’s impulsive, worn down, and morally scarred—but Egerton plays him with honesty. There’s no swagger here, just desperation and slowly awakening regret. His chemistry with Heger is the heart of the film. And it’s not a forced sentimentality—it’s something that builds through exhaustion, trial, and fire.

Heger is a revelation. Her portrayal of Polly is more than just pure—there’s intelligence, suspicion, and pain all simmering beneath her guarded expressions. She doesn’t play the “innocent kid” trope. She plays a survivor in training. It’s rare to see a child actor command a performance with this much subtlety. Heger manages to steal scenes even when paired with seasoned actors like Egerton or John Carroll Lynch, who gives a quietly menacing turn as a small-town figure hiding bigger sins.

There’s something deeply affecting in how the story lets its emotional arcs grow alongside the action. The film doesn’t rush the development of trust—it allows for silence, for tension, for mistakes. Nate doesn’t suddenly become a perfect dad. Polly doesn’t forgive him after one moment of proving himself. The evolution of their bond is earned, and watching that unfold through shared danger gives the film its staying power.

Visually, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN makes the most of its New Mexico locations. The vastness of the desert landscapes creates an isolating backdrop, and the cinematography never romanticizes it. Everything is dust-covered, sun-bleached, and quietly threatening—mirroring the emotional terrain the characters must navigate.

The script by Harper, Collins, and Piotrowski maintains a solid balance between emotion and forward momentum. You’re never far from the next threat, but the film doesn’t forget that the core stakes aren’t just about bullets—they’re about redemption. And not in a grand, sweeping way. Nate’s redemption is about learning how to show up, how to listen, and how to prioritize someone else's needs over his survival instincts.

The soundtrack by Blanck Mass is another standout element. It's intense, pulsing, and dark, underscoring the tension without ever overpowering the scenes. It helps maintain the mood of a world constantly on edge, a place where every road might lead to danger—and yet there's a flicker of hope that sometimes, the journey might be worth the risk.

There’s something truly special here. The connection between Egerton and Heger is genuine and transformative. It’s the kind of dynamic that elevates the entire film. And it sticks with you. This isn’t one of those action movies that disappears from memory the moment the credits roll. It lingers. You find yourself thinking about Polly’s strength, Nate’s haunted eyes, and the way survival looked less like a shootout and more like learning to trust.

SHE RIDES SHOTGUN is brutal at times, tender at others, and surprisingly soulful throughout. It’s a story about fighting for a second chance, about finding meaning in the wreckage, and about how love—especially the kind we think we don’t deserve—can change everything. It might wear the clothes of a gritty thriller, but underneath, it’s a beautifully human film.

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[photo courtesy of LIONSGATE, FIFTH SEASON, WAYPOINT ENTERTAINMENT, MAKEREADY, SUPER FROG]

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