Parenting in films typically fall into two categories: the mom and dad who are viewed as great people, or the mom and/or dad who is truly evil and seems to wish they never had kids in the first place. The new film She Rides Shotgun finds the perfect balance between the two as we follow Nate McClusky (Taron Egerton), a recently released prisoner who seemingly kidnaps his daughter and takes her on the run.
Adapted from a book by Jordan Harper, the new film is a story about parenting told through the lens of a crime movie. Throughout the film, we're forced to question what Nate's true intentions are. There are times where he seemingly wants to be a good dad and move onto the next chapter of his life, and then there are times where he puts his daughter Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) in dangerous situations where either her life is put at risk or she's forced to watch Nate get nearly killed over and over again.
After picking Polly up from school, we find out that her mom and step-dad were killed in a brutal double homicide which she assumes was Nate's doing. Without spoiling too much of the film, it goes without saying that it's completely believable to think he is capable of the murders during the majority of the movie.
Egerton is fantastic throughout the entire film and brings a magnetic brutality that makes us not only invest in his character, but also hope he does find the happy ending he may not even deserve. It falls in line nicely with his previous role in the mini-series Black Bird and serves as a reminder that when he's on top of his game, he is one of the best young actors in Hollywood.
Sophia Heger also holds up her end of the bargain and balances the duality of being an innocent child caught up in a windstorm of chaos and being chaotic enough herself. Movies featuring young children can see their lackluster, and occasionally even terrible, performances halt the film in its tracks and stop the momentum completely. Thankfully this isn't the case here and one could argue that her performance matches Egerton, at least based on expectations.
The cast is rounded out by detectives Jimmy (David Lyons) and John (Rob Yang) who get assigned the case of the double homicide before revealing their individual involvements in the wider realm within the film later. They're joined by Houser (John Carroll Lynch), a crooked cop who brings both a menacing side and a God complex.
Director Nick Rowland does well by keeping the cast tight, and it allows us to deeply invest in each of the characters on an emotional level. We want to see Nate succeed as much as we want to see Houser get his comeuppance, and that ensures that the film moves nicely and keeps the emotional stakes high for the major characters.
The film does struggle with sticking its landing as the last 10-15 minutes are extremely predictable, but it thankfully doesn't harm the film's enjoyment or cause us to lose interest in these characters. It felt like there is only one path available for Nate based on what we know about his character, and even when that happens, I still had a slight hope that things would turn out differently and he'd get the happy ending he deserved.
Overall, She Rides Shotgun is a film worth seeing not only for Egerton's performance but for the familial focus showcased throughout. Viewers may disagree on Nate's true intentions until the very end, but the moments of love and caring showcase both leads acting abilities and give us a story that is enjoyable even with a bumpy ending.