Riders

This is a well-crafted, strongly acted, searing movie that is not enough "like" any other movie I've seen to inspire a comparison. Its inability to get general theatrical release is strong evidence that the industry is too busy chasing rainbows that end at 9-digit pots of gold to bother with anything else. I had the good fortune to see it at the Rehoboth (DE) Film festival, where I believe it won the Viewers' Choice vote. The young actors who play the sisters are astonishingly, understatedly good; the director tells a story magnificently without putting speeches in any character's mouth. See it on (I forget which) Flix or Sundance if you can, or rent it; I think it'd pay almost as well on the small screen as it does in a movie house, which is where it belongs!

Loved this film . . . a very real story about single mom parenting and daughters' relationships with mom's boyfriends. The characters are very authentic and compelling. Plus the locales are very real and intriguing. Very well done independent film. A must-see for film buffs.

Riders was one of the better independent films I have seen in the recent past and brings forth some great talent in young star Alex Orban and young director Doug Sadler. Sadler will go far if he stays on this track, the help of veteran actor Don Harvey really only adds to the quality of the film, and the slick DV presentation done by Rodney Taylor is unbeatable, this is a film I highly recommend if you enjoy the independent scene. I hope this gets picked up and distributed so I personally can get a copy of the film.

The acting is excellent, and the movie touched me with its sensitive, complex treatment of the sisters. I like that it does not provide the viewer with a "program", but draws the viewer into the story in a way that engages our creativity and imagination, and allows us to respond in our own fashion to the issues raised.

As low-budget, calling-card movies go, this one is fairly heartfelt and well-produced. Sadler shows a real flair for exploring the psyche of his female teen protagonist, and he's clearly gotten the most production value possible out of a small budget. It's scruffy around the edges, perhaps, but it's a movie that makes me curious to see what the director will do next. RIDERS is certainly leaps and bounds beyond many first films whose makers have been crowned the Second Coming after one successful Sundance screening.