Movie Review: The Last Rodeo

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Exploring the thrilling world of “The Last Rodeo,” the film centers around the exhilarating sport of American bull riding. A quick investigation reveals some potential dangers associated with this activity within the U.S.

Given its high injury rate of approximately 1440 per every 1000 hours, it’s astonishing that bull riding is 10 times riskier than American Football and 13 times more hazardous than Hockey. The injuries sustained are often contusions, concussions, shoulder, and knee injuries, with an annual fatality rate of 1-3. The majority of these incidents occur either during dismounts or when riders are thrown off and subsequently trampled or gored by the bull. Given the frequent occurrence of such injuries and the high level of danger involved, it’s challenging to comprehend why bull riding maintains such immense popularity worldwide.

The narrative centers around an elderly former bull rider, Joe Wainwright (portrayed by Neal McDonough), who narrowly escaped death from a riding mishap in the past. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, his grandson Cody Wainwright (played by Graham Harvey) is critically unwell due to a brain tumor. Faced with this dire situation, Joe decides to compete in a bull-riding competition with the aim of raising enough funds for the costly surgery needed to save his beloved grandson’s life.

1) In a heartwarming reunion, Joe meets up with an old buddy, Charlie Williams (played by Mykelti Williamson), whom he hadn’t crossed paths with since his spouse passed away long ago. The bond between these two men is undeniably one of the film’s most captivating aspects.

At first, it seemed as though Joe would participate in the senior bull-riding competition, but unexpectedly, he ended up participating in the main event, where the grand prize was a staggering $750,000.

Another appealing aspect of this tale lies in the strained connection between Joe and his daughter Sally Wainwright, portrayed by Sarah Jones. This relationship revolves around Sarah’s resentment towards Joe for choosing to ride again, and the ordeal she experienced when Joe nearly met his end while riding a bull previously.

The persistent concern about exorbitant medical expenses and insurance companies’ practices – such as covering only 40% of the total cost of a life-saving surgery for a 10-year-old boy in many films – has often been a significant subplot, highlighting the absurdity of healthcare costs in the U.S. Unfortunately, there’s a strong likelihood that this situation will remain unchanged.

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2025-05-24 19:49