If writer-director Chloé Zhao isn’t a household name, it certainly will be after a docudrama, The Rider, reaches a wider audience.

Brady Blackburn (Brady Jandreau) was going to be a star of the rodeo one day.  Unfortunately for him, he suffered from a riding accident while competing and ends up in a coma for a few days.  For Brady, it means that his days of competing are over.  For any rider, it’s a sad day to say goodbye to your career.  It also means that the needs to find something to live for now that his dreams are shattered.  There’s no winning in his situations.

Zhao is a director to keep your eye on as she continues her career.  She takes Brady Jandreau’s story and rather than film a documentary, she builds a drama around it.  The film is personal for Brady as his sister, Lilly, and father, Tim, have co-starring roles as his family members.

Instead of releasing The Rider in 2017, distributor Sony Classics has opted for a 2018 release.  As tends to be the case ever so often, the limited release will come as another film dealing with a teenager and a horse will have just opened up in theaters.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER:  Chloé Zhao
CAST:  Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Lane Scott, Cat Clifford

Having premiered at 2017 Cannes Film Festival, The Rider was selected for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival as a part of the Festival Favorites program.  Sony Classics will open the film in New York and Los Angeles on April 13, 2018 before a theatrical expansion.