“She Rides Shotgun is a haunting emotional thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat!”
Every year there are certain movies that film critic are going to be discussing during awards season. While most movies released every year are largely forgotten or they’re too much of a blockbuster to be in the discussion for major awards, I find a small handful of films that to me are Oscar-winning films. She Rides Shotgun is one of those films. It’s intense, it’s gritty, and it’s one of the most emotional films of the year. It’s an edge of your seat haunting thriller that stretches the boundaries of a father’s love for their child. Taron Egerton, the man who played a great Elton John gives one of his best performances in this movie, but the standout star is Ana Sophia Heger who plays his daughter. She is going to be a star someday. She is definitely an actress on the rise and movie fans we should take notice. To say that this has been one of my favorite films of the year is an understatement. In a year where most movies are “blah” from nostalgic reboots to sequels that we didn’t need, and superhero films that didn’t mean my expectations, She Rides Shotgun is a hidden gem among a sea of mediocrity that reminds us that great films are still being made.
Here is a brief synopsis of the film. Taron Egerton plays a father who just got out of prison and goes on the run with his only daughter after being accused of a double homicide. He must deal with his past actions while being chased by the police and gangs who want him dead while trying to protect his daughter at all costs. The father and daughter on the run is the driving force of this movie against the backdrop of murderous gangs and corrupt cops. I don’t want to say anything else and spoil the movie. For me the best part of the movie is the intensity and agonizing over if Taron Egerton’s character will actually get away, but also at the same time rekindling a relationship with his daughter who unfortunately has been put in harm’s way. It’s Taron’s performance that really makes this movie worth watching, and the chemistry with Ana Sophia Heger is truly superb. It makes the story even more gut-wrenching by the time you get to the end, but the father-daughter relationship is also one of the best parts of the movie. I always talk about pacing and whether it will make or break a film. The pacing is great because just when you think you have time to breathe a little bit with the story, there’s more action, there’s more fretting on whether the characters are going to get away or meet a gruesome end. You don’t know who to trust which makes the story even better. You instantly know that there are corrupt cops so even when you think there might be a good one, you could be wrong. However, this is what makes the story gritty and a great watch. There are a lot of great emotional moments between the Nate and Polly especially the diner scene where she’s helping him do math or he’s bleaching her hair. It’s these moments that Ana Sophia Heger shines as a young actress. While the main theme of the movie is a heartwarming story about a father and daughter trying to survive, there’s a great mystery within the film and when everything seems too predictable, what happens next, you don’t see coming.
One of the marks of a great film is when it doesn’t feel long… you don’t feel like you’ve been sitting for 2 hours. The film is so good that you stay engaged and the time flies by in the theater. I didn’t realize the film was 2 hours because I was so engrossed within the story from gun battles to high speed chases, and even the little emotional moments with the Nate and Polly don’t feel boring. Of course as a critic I have a few minor critiques, but don’t worry they’re not bad. When I watch a movie and it’s easy to connect to the characters, I always want to know more regarding their backstory. Am I the only one that feels that way? My biggest complaint is we don’t get enough time to really get to know the father and daughter because immediately they’re on the run. There are a lot of great heartwarming scenes between them, but there’s this whole backstory that the film never has time to explain and I understand why. It’s the director’s choices to focus on the current plot than to always be looking back, because backstories aren’t essential. I don’t fault director Nick Rowland for this, we often need to know more about the characters to really connect with them and I don’t feel like we truly do that with Nate and Polly on some levels. We connect just enough to their characters, but it should be more. Now it doesn’t take away from the film or make the film worse. It’s still a very good film, but when you get emotionally invested in the main characters, our natural instinct is to want to know more. If this were a TV or streaming series, there would be multiple episodes that would tell the backstory, but I understand that in order to tell one concise story within 2 hours, the director has to focus on the current events regarding the characters. However, this is also great compliment to the writers and director because they made me emotionally invested just enough for me to keep watching the film and that doesn’t happen with every movie I see. Most movies are largely forgettable, which has been the case for the majority of movies I’ve seen in 2025.
My critique of the film is minor. Please don’t let this in any way persuade you not to see this film. I think every movie fan should watch this movie because as I mentioned earlier, it will be one of the best movies of the year. Not only are the performances great, the cinematography is amazing. It’s not easy always making New Mexico look like a beautiful place, but making even the most desolate places come alive is another compliment to the filmmakers. I also really loved the music, a good mixture of a traditional score and pop music that’s perfectly placed to heighten the most emotional scenes is the mark of a true genius. Sometimes the music in a film doesn’t really fit. I can’t praise this movie enough. So many movies we see never really have that “wow” factor. I’m a nerd so you would think that James Gunn’s Superman would have given me the ultimate “wow” factor… not really, but She Rides Shotgun did. Maybe that’s the best compliment I can give the film, as a nerd it’s a better film than James Gunn’s, Superman and don’t get me wrong, I love superhero films, even the ones that are kind of “blah.” But I love smaller, independent films that keep me more engaged even more. And that’s what this movie does for a “cinephile” like me. When it comes to best actor and actress awards this year, Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger should be in the conversation. And for another reason, go see this movie just for their standout performances. My verdict… It’s one of the best movies of the year!!!
“She Rides Shotgun is one of the best movies of the year and better than James Gunn’s Superman!”
