Prime Video’s new No 1 movie is ‘a gritty gut-punch of a thriller’

Holding an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score, one critic said the 2025 thriller 'makes Breaking Bad look like family entertainment'.

Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Jordan Harper, the film centres around Nate (Egerton), a newly released ex-con who finds himself marked for death by a vicious, unrelenting crime gang.

Knowing that his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger, Things Heard & Seen), will be targeted by the syndicate, Nate picks her up.

The pair then go on the run together, fleeing brutal gang members and corrupt cops.

"With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive -- and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means," the plot synopsis adds.

She Rides Shotgun is directed by Nick Rowland, who made the brilliant 2019 Irish crime thriller Calm with Horses starring Barry Keoghan, which we've recommended many times before.

His latest foray into the genre is also earning rave reviews, with it currently holding an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In particular, Egerton and Heger's performances and the movie's blend of gritty action and human emotion have been singled out for praise.

Currently sitting at the top of Prime Video's film chart in Ireland, you can read a sample of these positive write-ups for She Rides Shotgun below:

The Hollywood Reporter: "[She Rides Shotgun] makes Breaking Bad look like family entertainment. On the other hand, it’s an ultimately touching portrait of the growing bond between a criminal father and the young daughter he’s barely gotten a chance to know."

NPR: "Egerton is ripped and terrifying as a father whose very existence seems to put his daughter in danger; and Heger is flat-out terrific as a child who proves as resourceful and canny as she is vulnerable."

Screen Zealots: "A gritty, gut-punch of a thriller anchored by two unforgettable performances."

Variety: "Director Nick Rowland hotwires a familiar scenario and puts pedal to the metal in a gripping thriller with as much heart and soul as sound and fury."

Vulture: "The whole story turns on how this scared young girl becomes a tough, tragic redeemer through this wild, unlikely journey. Her fear, her joy, her rage, and, finally, her anguish make She Rides Shotgun unforgettable."

Where to watch She Rides Shotgun

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She Rides Shotgun is streaming in Ireland and the UK on Prime Video now.