She Rides Shotgun
Reviews
Manuel São Bento
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/she-rides-shotgun-movie-review-ana-sophia-heger-delivers-a-star-making-performance/ "She Rides Shotgun tells a relatively simple, even formulaic story - a man on the run, a redemption arc, a family bond forged in the fire of survival. But it's in the way it tells that story - with emotional honesty, top-tier performances, and intimate, inspired direction - that the movie finds its unique power. It doesn't reinvent the genre, nor does it try to. And while Taron Egerton reaffirms his value as a versatile and committed actor, it's Ana Sophia Heger who truly steals the show - a total revelation, carrying the film's emotional weight and elevating it with rare depth. Her performance isn't just impressive "for her age". It's impressive, full stop. A star is born here - and everyone better take notice." Rating: B
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
Adapted from Jordan Harper’s award-winning novel, “She Rides Shotgun” is a raw, riveting, and emotionally charged crime thriller that delivers a gritty and brutal, sometimes beautiful, and often deeply unsettling story about violence, survival, and the complicated bonds between a father and daughter. Featuring a tight script that’s effectively written and two shockingly strong lead performances, this is a sleeper that you don’t want to miss. Taron Egerton gives a tough, layered performance as Nate, a recently released ex-con whose past catches up with him the moment he’s free. With an extensive skinhead gang gunning for his blood, Nate is forced to take his estranged 11-year-old daughter Polly (in an absolutely incredible star-making performance from Ana Sophia Heger) on the run. Their flight from danger becomes a twisted road trip of survival that forces both of them to learn from each other in ways neither is fully prepared for. The script is tight and incredibly effective, absent of wasted moments and forced sentimentality. It’s dark and unrelenting, packed with gritty, emotional storytelling that refuses to play it safe. There’s very little hope in this world, but just enough humanity to keep you rooting for these two damaged souls. The dynamic between Nate and Polly is the heart of the film, and their evolving relationship is as heartbreaking as it is compelling. Polly’s slow transformation from scared little girl to someone almost comfortable in (and sometimes excited by) the world of crime is disturbing, but it’s handled with care, never glamorized, and is always tragic. Heger gives one of the strongest child performances in years. She’s magnetic, complex, and completely believable. It’s a breakout role that could (and should) launch a massive career for the young actor. Egerton matches her, showing both grit and emotional vulnerability as a man trying to outrun his sins while teaching his daughter how to survive in a world he helped corrupt. The casting is absolutely perfect, and it elevates the movie tenfold. The film builds toward a chaotic finale which doesn’t quite land as solidly as the rest of the movie, especially because parts of it are very unbelievable. But even that can’t overshadow how well-constructed the journey is. This is a story that’s less about plot twists and more about psychological impact. It’s the kind of film that keeps viewers emotionally involved. With its powerful and emotionally bruising tale of loyalty, vengeance, and the terrible cost of love in a broken world, “She Rides Shotgun” is not an easy watch, but it’s a damn good one. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS
Horseface
Jesus Christ, Ana Sophia Heger is INSANE! Where did this girl come from? I don't remember ever seeing a performance this strong from a child actress. I'm blown away, and praying she won't self-destruct, so we can enjoy her talent for decades to come. Pair that with Taron Egerton's performance, and the crazy chemistry between these two actors, and you just get jaw-dropping moment after gasp-inducing moment. There are times when you can't help but think they must've been editing out gasps and sobs from the crew. And times when you just know there was a quiet "Okay, cut," and then silence for a long while. I'm still wiping tears from my eyes. If there's any justice or sense to the Oscars (there isn't), this girl will take Best Actress. The story has issues, especially towards the end, but WATCH IT for the acting and father-daughter chemistry. I will watch this many times more.
MovieGuys
'She Rides Shotgun" is one of the better films to come out this year. A novel adaptation, its core strength, is the simply mesmerising and deeply moving performances, from the main actors Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger. A father and his daughter caught in a dysfunctional, ultimately doomed relationship, that's defined by the desperate love they share, in a cold, feral world, that preys on the weak and vulnerable. The only downsides I could see here was underlying message, of predatory (dog eat dog) social inequality, feels watered down.Its not helped by the need to define the criminals, by their race. Nor by the candy coated image presented of the US state system of care for orphans, which has a well established reputation, for being awful. In summary, "She Rides Shotgun" is in most respects, a remarkable film. Its emotional impact, with exceptional chemistry between its lead's, defines it. Its not perfect, certainly but its still head and shoulders above most films of 2025, thus far. A must see.
Movie Recommendation
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story2025-06-20The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the film uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.More...
The Good Life2014-04-09Sylvain and Pierre have been running from the law ever since a custody battle with their mother pushed their father Yves into hiding ten years ago. But now that they’re older, the two brothers are road-weary and eager to take advantage of the perks of young adulthood. When the authorities discover their whereabouts, they are forced to move yet again and Pierre, the elder, disappears. Alone with his father on an island in the Loire River, Sylvain meets Gilda: his first girl, his first crush, and the first stop on his way to “the good life” – his own.More...
Dhadak 22025-08-01When Neelesh, an idealistic law student from a marginalised section of society, steps into a prestigious institution, he is thrust into a world that doesn't reflect his own. His friendship with Vidhi offers hope-until a wave of tragedy exposes the deep-rooted hierarchies he tried to outrun. He must confront the invisible forces that shape who we are allowed to become and who we are allowed to love.More...
The Stoning of Soraya M.2009-06-26In 1986 Iran, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village, enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant ended in tragedy.More...
Exit 82025-08-28A man gets lost in an underground passage. He follows the "guide" through the passage, but one after another, strange things happen to him. Is this space real? Or an illusion? Will the man be able to escape the passage?More...
Monday2021-04-16A spark on a Friday can lead to a sizzling weekend fling, but what happens when you get to the inevitable Monday?More...
The Ballad of Wallis Island2025-03-28An eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island tries to make his fantasies come true by getting his favourite musicians to perform at his home.More...
Highest 2 Lowest2025-08-14When a titan music mogul, widely known as having the "best ears in the business", is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.More...
Bring It On Again2004-01-13When new students can't get onto their college cheerleading team, they form their own squad and prepare for a cheer off.More...
Freaky Tales2025-04-04In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town's underdogs in four interconnected tales: teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.More...
TRON: Ares2025-10-08A highly sophisticated Program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.More...
Relay2025-08-21A broker of lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten them breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive.More...
Nobody 22025-08-13Former assassin Hutch Mansell takes his family on a nostalgic vacation to a small-town theme park, only to be pulled back into violence when they clash with a corrupt operator, a crooked sheriff, and a ruthless crime boss.More...
Honey Don't!2025-08-21Honey O'Donahue, a small-town private investigator, delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.More...
Once Upon My Mother2025-03-19In 1963, Esther gives birth to Roland, the youngest of a large family. Roland is born with a club foot that prevents him from standing. Against everyone's advice, she promises her son that he will walk like the others and that he will have a fabulous life. From then on, Esther will do everything in her power to keep this promise. Through decades of trials and miracles of life, this film is the story of a true, funny and moving story, that of an incredible destiny and the greatest love there is: that of a mother for her child.More...
One Battle After Another2025-09-23Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.More...
I Know What You Did Last Summer2025-07-16When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they're forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge.More...
The Bad Guys 22025-07-24The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.More...
The Thursday Murder Club2025-08-22A group of senior sleuths passionate about solving cold cases get plunged into a real-life murder mystery in this comic crime caper.More...
Together2025-07-28With a move to the countryside already testing the limits of a couple's relationship, a supernatural encounter begins an extreme transformation of their love, their lives, and their flesh.More...
Similar Movies
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2009-01-15When a shopping mall is taken over by a gang of organized crooks, it's up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.The Hate U Give
2018-10-19Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.Mother's Day
1980-09-19Three girls discover that two men are willing to do anything to impress Mother and what impresses Mother is watching her sons commit acts of rape and murder. Now these women are prisoners and lowered to pawns in the game of checkers between two dim wits and their Maniac Mommy and the question becomes, can any of them escape, alive?Crime Is Our Business...
2008-10-02Loosely based on "4.50 from Paddington" by Agatha Christie.The Girl with the Dra...
2009-02-27Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a male journalist and a young female hacker. In the opening of the movie, Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged publisher for the magazine Millennium, loses a libel case brought by corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström. Nevertheless, he is hired by Henrik Vanger in order to solve a cold case, the disappearance of Vanger's nieceTwelve O'Clock High
1949-12-21In the early days of daylight bombing raids over Germany, General Frank Savage must take command of a 'hard luck' bomber group. Much of the story deals with his struggle to whip his group into a disciplined fighting unit in spite of heavy losses, and withering attacks by German fighters over their targets.Neonnächte - Der U-Ba...
2000-01-05A new case for the energetic criminal investigation officer Beate Stein: The half-undressed corpse of a subway driver is found in a subway tunnel. It soon seems as if the perpetrator has been found in a convicted female murderer. But after his death, the murders continue ...The Family Rico
1972-09-12A Mafia chief is torn between his brother, who has defected from the family, and his loyalty to the organization.The Lost
2006-03-11A charismatic psycho suspected of killing two innocent campers in a cold-blooded double homicide grows increasingly unstable as his suburban empire starts to crack at the foundations.Class Action
1991-03-15A liberal activist lawyer alienated his daughter Maggie years ago when she discovered his many affairs. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, Maggie agrees to go up against her father in court. To gain promotion, she must defend an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty.White Heat
1949-09-02A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.Untitled Hawaiian Gan...
No data for this movieBased on the untold true story of a man who fought to preserve his homeland through a ruthless quest for absolute power — igniting the last great American mob saga, where the war for cultural survival takes place in the unlikeliest of places: paradise.King's Game
2004-08-10Starting a new job as a political journalist at a leading newspaper, Ulrik Torp witnesses a brutal struggle for power in the Midparty's ranks -- a struggle that coincides with the charismatic party leader's involvement in a near fatal car accident. A flurry of lies and media speculation surrounds the incident. Gradually, Ulrik unearths a ruthless conspiracy involving the incumbent prime minister.Nancy Drew
2007-06-15Intrepid teenage private eye Nancy Drew heads to Tinseltown with her father to investigate the unsolved murder of a movie star in this old-fashioned whodunit based on Carolyn Keene's popular series of books for young adults. But can the small-town girl cut through the Hollywood hype to solve the case?Auto Focus
2002-10-18A successful TV star during the 1960s, former "Hogan's Heroes" actor Bob Crane projects a wholesome family-man image, but this front masks his persona as a sex addict who records and photographs his many encounters with women, often with the help of his seedy friend, John Henry Carpenter. This biographical drama reveals how Crane's double life takes its toll on him and his family, and ultimately contributes to his death.The Scorpio Letters
1967-09-01A spy thriller involving an American who is enlisted by British intelligence to replace one of its recently murdered agents and smash a ring of blackmailers -- James Bond style -- headed by a nefarious figure known as Scorpio.The Asphalt Jungle
1950-05-12Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.Shutter
2004-09-09When Jane and Tun run over a girl in a car accident, they speed away immediately from the crime scene. However, Tun, a photographer, soon discovers strange shadows in his photos, which unsettles them.Woman in the Dunes
1964-02-15A vacationing entomologist suffers extreme physical and psychological trauma after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village and made to live with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them.The Tale of Zatoichi
1962-04-18The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman. Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighbouring town's smaller gang is brewing.