Drama

WAR PONY

2023
2 HR, 1 min
SEP 8 → SEP 21

Details

Released July 28, 2023, United States

Drama

2 hours, 1 minute

Momentum

None

Starring

Jojo Bapteise Whiting
LaDainian Crazy Thunder

Director

Riley Keough, Gina Gammell

Film Information

Stunning, tender and utterly compelling, WAR PONY tells the interlocking stories of two Oglala Lakota men coming of age on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s syphoning gas, delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to carve his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young, unavailable father, a series of destructive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world.

A powerful tale of life, hope and belonging on the Reservation. Featuring spellbinding performances from first-time actors Jojo Bapteise Whiting and LaDainian Crazy Thunder, and created over a period of several years, in collaboration with members of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

WAR PONY is the directorial debut of Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & The Six, Zola) and Gina Gammell, and written with first-time writers, Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy.

Film Stills

Full Cast

Jojo Bapteise Whiting

LaDainian Crazy Thunder

Additional Credits

Riley Keough, Gina Gammell Director

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Reviews

“The non-professional cast, drawn from the community in which these interlocking, quasi-mythic tales of manhood in the making are set, is rooted, real and persuasive.”

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

“It has every right to be a furious tragedy. Instead, it’s a slacker comedy that swaps punchlines for laid-back, lived-in absurdities. The jokes land so feather-light you’re not sure if you should laugh.”

Amy Nicholson

New York Times

“A moving experiment in collective narrative filmmaking — an example of how stories can honor instead of exploit.”

Lovia Gyarkye

Hollywood Reporter