She Rides Shotgun is a riveting drama, full of mystery, intrigue and emotional prominence; if only the film could’ve stuck the landing. The plot follows a young girl stranded at school, awaiting her mother to pick her up when her estranged father shows up. Requesting she get in the car with him, while being very cautious of police presence, it’s clear something may be wrong with the situation. Is this a kidnapping? 

 

Soon we learn the horrific details of why her mother was not able to pick her up that fateful day and as said details are laid out, decide if her father is truly trustworthy. Up to this decision, the film had a lock on the drama, building an unexpected amount of suspicion toward the obvious party. Sadly as the film unlocks more information and goes into more about a secret society, possibly a hidden in plain sight cult, things go a little off the rails. 

 

Nick Rowland's direction results in an intense drama when it wants to be, led by the fantastic and believable performances of Taron Egerton (Rocketman) and Ana Sophia Heger (Life in Pieces). Edgerton provides one of his strongest performances here as a father looking to make up lost time with his daughter, Polly, after such horrific circumstances. Heger wears her emotions on her sleeve and they come off as genuine as anyone could be forced into such a situation as her character is put in.

 

After the powerful performances of the two leads, it’s a shame that the remainder of the cast of characters lack such a build. One of the most notable is the drastic underdevelopment of villainous Houser, played by John Carroll Lynch (The Founder) as his involvement increases throughout the feature. It’s an unfortunate mixture of the best the film can be and its most prominent faults - especially when twists have less of an impact because of it. 

 

The film has some pacing issues and gaps that leave me curious if diving into the novel would assist with these dilemmas, but ultimately the film is a riveting experience nonetheless that’s not afraid to dial up the intensity. It’s a family drama first and action thriller second, while not breaking away from common ground - the film manages to deliver some thought-provoking punches regarding the responsibilities that fall upon a guardian and the dire impact of past actions coming back to settle the score. She Rides Shotgun is not a feel-good feature, so be prepared for the tragedy to hit much harder than it has any right to in the film’s final moments.