Tales of Americana rodeo cowboys –typically men – often portray a heavy helping of machismo in their identity.

But in director Chloé Zhao’s second feature film, The Rider, we see a softer and more observational story of blue-collar workers who, with the use of non-actors playing fictionalized versions of themselves, reflect a larger societal observation of overcoming hardship in pursuit of a deeper passion for something as beautiful as it is dangerous and destructive.

In a simple story sense, The Rider celebrates salt of the Earth people who face hardship and does so with a real painter’s eye. Brady Jandreau (who plays himself) is a man of the land – silently wise for a young man who has experienced a lot in his young life, including a debilitating post-rodeo accident that sidelines him. Brady is also a man of grit – we don’t see the accident, but we do see him removing staples from his head before putting on his cowboy hat. The film follows Brady as he attempts to literally “get back on the horse” which is such a big part of his small-town life.

Zhao captures an authenticity to a part of this American character and life that loosely fictionalizes a narrative that cannot be faked with very masterful observation and understanding of these people and their lives.

The Rider goes further in painting a larger image of the hardships that Brady faces, as Zhao portrays Brady’s life with a single father, whose drinking means the rent doesn’t get paid and threatens the stability of him having to also raise a developmentally disabled younger sister. Here, Zhao shows that he has more in his life that he must tame. These storylines are even more powerful when you learn that Chloé Zhao uses non-actors to play these characters, essentially versions of themselves, including his aforementioned father and sister as well as another rodeo cowboy who is a full paraplegic, to stunning effect.

At the center of the story is newcomer Brady Jandreau who along with the cast doesn’t so much perform as he does live his everyday life and express his very real feelings. Zhao captures an authenticity to a part of this American character and life that loosely fictionalizes a narrative that cannot be faked with very masterful observation and understanding of these people and their lives. The Rider is one of the most unique and moving viewing experiences I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s largely a meditative film, which means that it requires you to watch with patience. Like Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke as a professional wrestler on the brink of retirement, The Rider shows the blue-collar workers who follow a career and passion to a detrimental degree. It will reinvigorate your love for your passions and show what meaning we find in life when confronted with hardship.

‘The Rider’ is rated R for language and drug use. 104 minutes. Now playing at The Landmark.