WAR PONY -- A Subtly Harrowing, but Effective Debut for Gina Gammell and Riley Keough

Review by Sean Boelman

Gina Gammell and Riley Keough’s directorial debut War Pony debuted at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, but went relatively under the radar until earlier this year, when it played at SXSW. War Pony is one of the most impressive directorial debuts of the year so far, exploring its themes in a way that is certainly difficult to watch, but still feels tremendously necessary.

The film follows two Ogala Lakota young men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation — one a teenager trying to set himself back on the straight path, and another a younger boy who keeps finding his way into trouble. Although the movie hits some familiar coming-of-age beats, and leans heavily on tragedy, it never feels like it simply exists for the purpose of pulling on the viewer’s heart-strings.

War Pony is certainly upsetting, but it isn’t because of anything it shows being particularly gratuitous. Instead, it is the fact that we are watching the disturbing and bleak reality of how disadvantaged youth — particularly Native disadvantaged youth — are treated in this nation. It will never not be upsetting to watch kids making bad choices and being mistreated, but the world’s attention must be called to these issues.

In showing these boys’ life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the film explores many of the issues that these youth go through. The most compelling theme is arguably the exploitation of the Native youth by the nearby white community, but there are also some interesting bits about cultural identity and the role of masculinity in Native American communities.

What is most impressive about this movie is how amazingly balanced its character development feels. Usually in films with interconnecting stories like this, there’s one side that feels dominant, and the other feels like an accent. Here, audiences will consistently feel intense emotions about both storylines, and when they come together, it’s quite heartbreaking.

War Pony features what deserves to be two star-making performances from Jojo Baptiese Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder. Interestingly, the two give turns that feel like a perfect complement to one another. While Whiting gives a harsh performance with elements of humanity shining through, Crazy Thunder has much more of a tough facade with a clearer humanistic undercurrent. Both performances are truly devastating.

For this to be the directorial debut of both Gammell and Keough, the movie is stunningly confident from an aesthetic standpoint. The film’s use of juxtaposition is brilliant. There are hip hop songs against tribal chants, beautiful shots of cars weaving through the plains, and images of industrial development against the natural beauty of the land. It has an awe-inspiring, provocative effect.

War Pony is the type of subtly harrowing movie that will stick with you for a long time. You will undoubtedly feel uncomfortable and voyeuristic while watching it, but that’s the mark of an exceptionally challenging and effectively provocative film.

War Pony hits theaters and VOD on July 28.

​Rating: 4.5/5