She Rides Shotgun Review – Riveting, A Gritty Race Against Time Thriller

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Category: Film

Published on Wednesday, 30 July 2025 08:05

Written by Janet Walker

She Rides Shotgun, from Lionsgate, present a contemporary dramatic thriller, as a newly released ex-con, who made enemies on the inside, fights to save himself and his daughter, while being hunted by the Southwest’s biggest drug dealer.

The film begins with Polly, played by Ana Sophia Heger, waiting outside her school to be picked up by her mom. We can judge from her boredom some time has gone by, until finally we see a teacher leaving for the day, so we understand it has been about an hour since school was let out, and still no mom.

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Just then, a car pulls up, and Nate, played by Taron Egerton, is driving. We don’t know the relationships between them yet, and has he act a little pervy, we are unsure if he is going to kidnap her or what. She seems to know him and agrees to get into the car. A quick glance and we understand something is wrong, the window is shattered, the car is hotwired, and when he sees a police car in the opposite lane, he tries to obscure his face.

She senses something is wrong and begins to cry. She wants her mom, and Nate explains everything is okay. Not to worry, he isn’t going to hurt her. Then she switches her tactic and begins to manipulate his feelings. We can tell he already feels bad enough.

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Even though she may comprehend, they are on the run, she really doesn’t know why. The first night, he changes her appearance and tells her the men with the blue lightening bolt tats are bad and will hurt her. He teaches her how to use a baseball bat as a weapon. After he falls asleep, she runs the channels and stops on a picture of her mom and stepdad. The anchor explains the pair were murdered, and an Amber Alert was issued for Polly, who is believed to be with her dad.  Two Detectives, John Park, played by Rob Yand, and his partner, Jimmy, played by David Lyons, are explaining the case and provide a number. Polly sneaks out of the hotel room and telephones the detective.

Unable to stop the swarm of detectives on their way to the hotel, she suddenly feels guilty for making the call and wakes Nate up. They escape the horde of police and manage to find one friend, Charlotte, played by Odessa A’zion, who agrees to put them up for the night. We understand as they talk, a greenlight, which is slang for a contract kill, has been put out on Polly by the man only known as the King of Slab Town.

The next morning, we realize Charlotte has betrayed them and called one of the Slab Town killers to the house. Nate finally realizes the only hope they have is escaping to Mexico. With little cash, he decides to rob a convenience store, where his luck of escape begins to run out. 

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This ushers in the second act, where we meet the King of Slab Town, played by John Carroll Lynch, who is also the county sheriff, and runs one of the largest drug distribution networks in the Southwest. As Nate is losing the race against time, and now injured, his prospects of surviving the greenlight and the dragnet initiated by enforcement are fading.

She Rides Shotgun, a riveting and gripping race against time thriller, grabs the attention and doesn’t let go.

The talented ensemble, especially Taron Edgerton and John Carroll Lynch, who each deliver outstanding against type performances, elevating this daddy abduction flick to a sympathetic, selfless, unconditional love and loyalty film. Lynch is shocking in his portrayal of the corrupt sheriff, even more so than his most memorable dark roles. Ana Sophia Heger, in her second feature, holds her own against the more seasoned talent, delivering a resonating performance.

She Rides Shotgun, a gritty, explosive action thriller, roars into theaters August 1, 2025. See it.

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Country: U.S.

Language: English.

Runtime: 120 minutes.

Director: Nick Rowland.

Producer: Collin Creighton, Nate Matteson, Hiro Murai, Brad Weston.

Executive Producer: Taron Egerton, Alexis Garcia, Ken Kao, Josh Rosenbaum, Graham Taylor.

Writers: Ben Collins, Jordan Harper, Luke Piotrowski, Nick Rowland.

Cast: Taron Egerton, John Carroll Lynch, Ana Sophia Heger, Rob Yang, David Lyons, Odessa A’zion,  Jamie Bernadette, Goldie Tom, Kiko Sanchez, Loren Anthony, Travis Hammer, Rebecca Hill Casey,  Conrad R. Padilla, Edgar Damatian, Matt Roszak, Keith Jardine, Santiago Segura, Ryan de Quintal, Andy Kastelic, Freddie Martinez, Esodie Geiger, Audrey Pazienza.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a former member of the International Federation of Journalists