The concept of an aging person trying to hang on in their chosen profession is a well-worn tradition in movies, having been applied to everything from actors to police officers to athletes. They’re often paired with a younger person, either a partner or someone whose skill threatens to usurp the older person’s position sooner than the elder may want.
In that way, the film Jockey doesn’t break any new ground. But in setting the story in the under-explored world of horse jockeys and adding a few unique twists, writer/director Clint Bentley manages to bring something new to the table. Clifton Collins Jr. plays Jackson Silva, a highly respected jockey whose body is showing the toll of all the hunching and falls he’s experienced over the years.
Jackson rides for Ruth Wilkes (Molly Parker), with whom he’s had a long professional relationship. Ruth has finally found the horse of both of their dreams, but it comes just as Jackson may be on his last legs. Not only that, but a new jockey, Gabriel (Moises Arias), shows up, claiming to be his son. The confluence of events threatens to be more than Jackson can handle.
Bentley, who’s making his feature film debut, and co-writer Greg Kwedar do a solid job of immersing the audience into what it’s like to be a jockey. That’s partly because they cast a number of real-world jockeys as supporting characters, engaging and talking with Jackson in a way that comes naturally to them. The filmmakers also romanticize the horse racing world to a certain degree, with many of the scenes taking place at either sunrise or sunset, giving a literal golden glow to the story.
On the other hand, they don’t hide the fact that being a jockey is a hard life. Even a successful jockey like Jackson is given only limited credit for a winning horse, and the injuries the riders compile can often be brutal. However, the budget of the film hampers the storytelling somewhat. Racing scenes are few and far between, with ones involving Jackson shown in close-up. This makes it clear he’s not actually riding a horse, although the staging is clever enough to know exactly what’s happening in each race.
The Gabriel-Jackson part of the story had the potential to be significant, but winds up serving as an unnecessary distraction. While it advances Jackson’s acknowledging that his best days are behind him, the actual connection between the two characters is lacking. Gabriel often shows up out of nowhere, offering no clear idea about where he’s been, what he’s been doing, or what his internal thinking is.
Collins is much like his character, a journeyman actor who’s appeared in multiple projects every year since his debut in 1990. This is a rare starring role for him, and he takes full advantage of it, digging in to the grizzled nature of the character. Parker is good foil for him, playing a relatively positive person who knows just what buttons to push. Arias doesn’t have that much to do, but he gets in a few nice scenes.
Jockey does well enough within its limitations, showcasing Collins in a manner that he doesn’t often get to enjoy. The story could have used an extra emotional bump, but otherwise falls right in line with other films about a character figuring out when it’s the right time to hang it up.
---
Jockey opens on February 1 at AFS Cinema in Austin.
Moises Arias in Jockey.
After winning Saturday’s sprint race, Max Verstappen qualified for pole position and would go on to win the 2025 USGP on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso headed toward turn 11 on Sunday. The Spanish legend qualified for P10, finishing in the same position and earning a single point.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Austin, Texas mural wall along the Main Grandstand was a favorite spot for photos.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The grand plaza lake and "Welcome to Texas" sign are easily the biggest targets for a selfie.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc makes his way to the garage before Saturday morning’s Sprint Race. The Frenchman currently sits at 5th place in the driver standings.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Despite losing his seat with Red Bull this season, Mexican hero Checo Perez was still represented around the track. Good news for Checo fans, though: he returns to the track next season with his new team, Cadillac.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Race day brings out the stars in the paddock and it wouldn’t be an Austin event without the omnipresent Matthew McConaughey, who visited several of the team suites on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Unlike Saturday’s sprint, which saw several crashes, turn one went without incident as Max Verstappen maintained his lead and Lando Norris gave up P2 to the charging Ferrari of Charles LeClerc.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Is it even a US F1 race if the Ferrari Pope isn’t there? The famous Ferrari fan was brought onstage at the Champions Club on Friday by Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Circuit of the Americas' newest roller coaster, Circuit Breaker, was in demo mode this weekend. Riders got to preview the attraction months before COTALand opens sometime in 2026.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
British legend Lewis Hamilton made his first appearance at COTA in the unfamiliar red of Ferrari, after switching over from Mercedes after 12 years and seven world championships.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
With the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders away this year, the Houston Texans, who were on a bye week, sent theirs two hours west to help celebrate the pre-race festivities on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Mercedes driver George Russell waves to the fans in the Main Grandstand before embarking on the one-lap drivers’ parade.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ukrainian model and Stake Sauber guest Mariia Lavrukhina was seen in the paddock on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Attendees who were looking for something to do to kill time between racing events on Saturday were treated to exciting Lucha Libra matches.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lance Stroll's Aston Martin car was damaged after the Canadian driver crashed into Haas driver Esteban Ocon during Saturday’s sprint race.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
First-year Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz biked back to the team suite with girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson by his side. The Spanish driver lost his seat at Ferrari last year to Lewis Hamilton.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Cowboy boots and \hats were all the rage this year.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Lando Norris entertained some VIPs at the team’s suite shortly before the race on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Dutch Royal Air Force provided the pre-race flyover prior set to the national anthem on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore share a few friendly words before Saturday’s sprint race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Turn 1 Grandstand was full of Ferrari red and McLaren orange.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The calm before the storm looking up the turn one hill. The climb in elevation is 305 feet, the same as the height of the Statue of Liberty from feet to torch.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The pit wall personnel proudly supported their nationality with a glistening Mexican flag.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The entire 2025 USGP grid finishing lap one and beginning lap two.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Network writer Amber Heckler captures a shot of Max Verstappen standing atop his Red Bull car after winning the 2025 USGP.Photo by Amber Heckler
The crowd rushed the podium for the trophy presentation, fighting for the best viewing position.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Verstappen’s Red Bull and his degraded soft tires, which the team put on after his sole pit stop. The Dutch driver started the race on mediums, like most of the drivers on the grid.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles LeClerc finished the race in first, second, and third respectively. The traditional podium celebration saw the top three drivers and the winning driver’s engineer spraying Moet on each other. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
That’s a wrap on the 2025 USGP in Austin, Texas. F1 and COTA announced an extension on Friday that will keep the race in town until at least 2036. See you next year!Photo by Daniel Cavazos