Where to Watch She Rides Shotgun

Film Feature by Chris Olson

It’s the film that has been quietly dominating film searches on streaming platforms, proving that a brutally effective neo-western can still cut through the noise of blockbuster cinema. Director Nick Rowland’s searing crime thriller, She Rides Shotgun, has been met with significant critical praise and overwhelming audience approval since its release. Now, for film fans across the United Kingdom who have been waiting patiently, the good news is that the picture is readily available.

You can watch She Rides Shotgun right now on Amazon Prime Video.

Based on the highly-regarded novel by Jordan Harper, the film is far more than your typical 'man on the run' story. It’s an unflinching examination of inherited trauma, the dark pull of a criminal past, and the profound, transformative bond between a father and daughter who are forced together by circumstance. Featuring a pair of astonishing lead performances from British talent Taron Egerton and the truly exceptional young actor Ana Sophia Heger, this is a film that demands to be watched, and its arrival on Prime Video ensures that UK audiences can now fully appreciate its considerable power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9OkHjOnQPg

The film's pedigree is immediately evident. Nick Rowland, who previously delivered the brooding and excellent Irish drama, Calm With Horses, brings that same commitment to raw emotional truth and gritty atmosphere to the American landscape. As our own George Wolf at UK Film Review noted in his She Rides Shotgun film review, the film shares the same roots of generational violence that propelled Rowland’s earlier feature. Here, however, the focus is shifted to craft sharp edges from the tragically familiar backdrop of the American meth epidemic, a world where the law and the criminal element are often indistinguishable. Rowland's direction is measured and controlled, working levels of camerawork, pace, and performance that give familiar themes relevant, vital life.

Taron Egerton stars as Nate McClusky, an ex-convict who, upon his release from prison, discovers he has been marked for death by the powerful Aryan Steel street gang—a consequence of a prison vendetta. Nate’s family are targeted, forcing him to whisk his eleven-year-old daughter, Polly, away from school. With his ex-wife murdered, Nate becomes the prime suspect in a kidnapping and murder investigation, painting a target on his back from the authorities as well as the gang members hunting them down. He must take Polly on the run, cutting and dying her hair to evade the authorities and embarking on a bloody, desperate journey to survival. Egerton’s commitment to the role is absolute; he delivers a passionate performance as the desperate man who has one last shot at redemption. He is intense, taut, and terrific, channelling a barely controlled violence that is always underpinned by his fierce, singular desire to keep his daughter alive.

Yet, the true discovery of the film is Ana Sophia Heger as Polly. She is, quite simply, the one audiences will be talking about long after the credits roll. George Wolf highlighted her work as one of the most impressive child performances in years. Polly is precocious and wary, thrown into an adult world of violence and fear, yet she does not shrink from it. As the film progresses, the dramatic intensity increases, and Heger simply amazes, displaying a wonderfully authentic chemistry with Egerton that shines in their quiet moments of bonding. We watch as the father teaches the daughter how to survive, and in turn, she teaches him about unconditional love. The film’s emotional climax is delivered through a gradual, extended close-up on Heger, a sequence that leaves you astonished at her level of emotion and control. It is a gripping reminder of the boundless potential of this young actor and elevates the entire picture beyond its genre trappings.

Adding to the tension is the formidable presence of John Carroll Lynch. The reliable character actor digs into the role of the crooked Sheriff Houser, the self-proclaimed “God of Slabtown,” who facilitates the local criminal enterprise. Lynch is superb, mining tension and terror through a measured commitment to brutality, providing a suitably chilling adversary for Nate and Polly. She Rides Shotgun is a raw, modern noir, where violence and tenderness are intertwined, set against the unforgiving canvas of the American Southwest.

It is a privilege to have a film of this quality so accessible for UK audiences. Whether you are drawn in by the explosive action and neo-western atmosphere or by the powerful, complex performances, She Rides Shotgun is an essential addition to your Prime Video queue. It’s a film that works on all cylinders, providing both an exhilarating ride and a deeply moving emotional core.