The Last Rodeo

The Last Rodeo (2025), an Angel Studios drama, follows Joe Wainwright (Neal McDonough), a retired champion bull rider facing a family crisis that compels him to enter a high-stakes bull-riding competition as the oldest contestant ever. To save his grandson, Joe must reconnect with his estranged best friend, Charlie Williams (Mykelti Williamson), and confront his strained relationship with his daughter, Sally (Sarah Jones).

The Last Rodeo Review

In 2012, Massachusetts native and first-generation Irish-American actor Neal McDonough — who got his start with early roles in China Beach and Quantum Leap — publicly came out as a religious conservative Republican while delivering the eulogy for Cpt. Buck Compton, the real-life WWII hero he portrayed in HBO’s Band of Brothers. Despite that potentially risky move in Hollywood, McDonough has largely avoided the cancel mob and continued working steadily in film and television. These days, in addition to popping up in major shows like Yellowstone and Tulsa King, it’s clear he’s found a home at Angel Studios: The Last Rodeo marks his third film (plus one series) with the faith-based studio in just two years.

Let’s be honest. Most Christian films are pretty lame, with second-rate actors spouting cheesy lines that are less than thin excuses to proselytize rather than tell a cogent and engaging narrative. Fortunately, The Last Rodeo isn’t most Christian films, at least not entirely.

McDonough, reliably solid as ever, is joined by two other recognizable faces (if not names): Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from Forrest Gump) and Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore). The trio plays longtime friends, and their veteran presence helps elevate a script that’s sometimes unfocused and occasionally clunky. While the writing isn’t top-tier, it does a better job than most faith-based films at weaving in its message with some degree of subtlety, rather than hammering it home.

Visuals are another weakness in many Christian films. It might not win any awards for creativity, but The Last Rodeo’s cinematography and composition are generally good, and even really good sometimes. However, the 4K cameras used give it that unfortunate high frame rate soap opera effect that can be something of a distraction.

The story, though straightforward, feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped. Key character moments are often delivered through clunky exposition rather than earned through natural buildup, and the ending lands with a bit of a thud. Still, The Last Rodeo has heart, anchored by a plot many parents will instinctively relate to. Paired with the strength of its lead trio, it’s just enough to carry most viewers through the full 8-second ride.

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