Director Lola Quivoron's exhilarating debut feature is set in the motocross culture of the Paris suburbs, where a fearless female rider shakes up the boys' club.
An independent young woman on the fringes of society, Julia finds an escape in her passion for motorcycles and the high-octane world of urban "rodeos" – illicit gatherings where riders show off their bikes and their latest daredevil stunts.
After a chance meeting, she's drawn into a secretive, ultra-masculine clique, where she faces a series of escalating demands that will make or break her place in the community.
Director Lola Quivoron spent years getting to know an underground community of motocross riders outside Paris, and her understanding of the scene lends the film a confident, compelling authenticity – amplified by a mostly non-professional cast.
With unbelievable stunt work and a transfixing central performance, Rodeo crosses a crime drama, a character study and an existential mystery, in one of the standout independent films of the year.
- Words by
- Joe Harris
- Featured in
- Film picks
