She Rides Shotgun – Review
In She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton escorts Ana Sopher Heger to prominence in a father/daughter crime drama with notable action scenes.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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“She Rides Shotgun” Film Details
- Runtime: 2 Hour(s) and 0 Minutes
- Released On: In Theaters
- Public Release Date: August 1, 2025
- Director(s): Nick Rowland
- Writer(s): Ben Collins, Jordan Harper, Luke Piotrowski, Nick Rowland
- Based On Work By: Jordan Harper
- Primary Language: English
- Genre(s): Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Rating: Rated R
- Distributor: Lionsgate
Movie Summary
Nathan has had a troubled life, and it seems to have led to the murder of his ex, and now the people whom he has upset are even willing to take out his 9-year-old daughter, Polly. He does his best to prevent this, but he is one man vs. what increasingly feels like an incalculable number of people who, with being given the green light, are allowed to wipe out not only Nathan, but nearly everyone he has ever loved.
Cast and Characters
Nathan (Taron Egerton)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Nathan, especially after following his brother, Nick, has been in and out of trouble for most of his life. But, with Nick now unable to help, protect, or enable him, Nathan is on his own at the worst possible time.
Polly (Ana Sophia Heger)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Polly is Nathan’s 9-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. From what it seems, she is a good kid who’s better at math than her father and loves him dearly. Hence, her willingness to go on a highway to hell with him as he faces a multitude of men and women ready to use her to get to him.
John Park (Rob Yang)
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- Character Summary: John Park is a cop who was looking for Polly after Nathan allegedly kidnapped her, but he evolves into potentially the only person who can save Nathan from almost certain death.
What To Expect In “She Rides Shotgun” (Rated R) – Content Overview
- Dialog:
- Cursing: Throughout
- Violence:
- Gun Violence: Full On Battles
- Violence Against Children: Yes (Context: Polly is shot at, tossed aside, and used as a human shield)
- Gore/ Blood/ Body Horror: Bleeding, Depiction of Open Wounds
- Notable Violence: Torture, Intense Fight Scenes
- Sexual Content:
- None
- Miscellaneous:
- Drinking: Yes
- Could This Make You Cry: Yes (Extent: Single Tear)
Links
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- Official Site Link
Review and Commentary
Highlight(s)
You Get Emotionally Invested [87/100]
Even though the basis of the movie is that Nathan screwed up and people are dying because of him, and it doesn’t really go beyond that, Egerton and Heger have the type of chemistry required for you to get over the minimal details provided. They create a believable father/daughter relationship, even if estranged, for Heger, as Polly seems like a 9-year-old with a complicated relationship with her dad.
Does she find him scary, considering he was in jail and what he is accused of? Yes. But, that’s still her dad, and there is a part of her that wants to believe him, forgive him for not being there, and is willing to do things she knows are wrong, if it means helping him or showing her value.
At the same time, considering what’s going on, Nathan’s handling of Polly helps usher Egerton into becoming a believable dad in future roles. He gives you the full spectrum of being annoyed, worried, thankful, and also trying to protect Polly’s innocence, while doing a hell of a lot of illegal things around her.
Combined, while not a blockbuster movie by any means, you still get the sense from Egerton that it isn’t about the budget but the role, and for Heger? Oh, you’ll become so invested in Polly that you’ll be checking her IMDB to see what’s next.
An Acceptable Ending [83/100]
Let’s be clear: Nothing about Nathan presents the idea that he is a military veteran or has any type of notable training. He got into a lot of fights and learned how to use a gun, but he isn’t presented as someone who can take on dozens of people and survive. But, here is the thing, you want him to. You want to see him raise Polly, not have his death add to her trauma, so as things go down and Nathan ends up working with this cop named John Park, you hope for the best while prepping for the worst, especially considering who they are going against.
On top of that, you want Polly to survive as well. Bullets do fly past her, some of the men after Nathan do harm to her, and it becomes clear they are willing to sacrifice this child to get to Nathan. They are even willing to use her to have him slip up, or be in as much mental/emotional pain as they plan to inflict physically. It all adds to the emotional investment, and your need to question, despite Park’s good intentions, is he in over his head as much as Nathan is?
On The Fence
Missing Details [78/100]
This is a me thing, more than a film thing: She Rides Shotgun does what a lot of action movies do, in terms of setting up characters and situations, but not digging into them as much as you’d like. This is a bold move, for if you don’t have lead actors like Heger and Egerton, this is pretty much a shot in the leg and the movie will limp straight through.
Luckily for those behind this, both have everything needed from lead actors to push through, but that’s if you dig what they are selling. If not, you may want to know more about Polly’s mom and her relationship with Nathan. Considering how much Nathan talks about his brother, you may wish that relationship was developed in the flesh, especially since he is part of the reason Nathan’s life is so screwed up.
Add in wanting more of what Nathan did to get into the position he is in, never mind more details about the lead villain, I won’t say what is missing ruins your ability to enjoy the film, but it’s the fat that could have given it some additional flavor.
Overall
Our Rating (82/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)
Taron Egerton earns his name being huge on the poster as he not only creates the hook for the film but ushers in Ana Ophia Heger in her first major film role. Together, what they do could be akin to what Jean Reno did for Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional. For between the violence, the heart, and an ending which is a bit devastating, even if partly expected, She Rides Shotgun is going to end up one of those films we’ll see Heger talk about a lot, until she becomes an indie darling and likely winning multiple accolades.
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