Rank
After the success of The Smashing Machine The Independent Film Channel (IFC) approached filmmakers John Hyams and Jon Greenhalgh, looking for the same gritty realism, but in a different arena. Rank follows three elite bull riders journeying to Las Vegas for the PBR World Championships. The stakes are high for these young men, and they put their lives on the line every time they climb down on a two thousand-pound bucking bull. To quote Dr. Tandy Newton, the head of the PBR medical staff, “It’s not a matter of IF a professional bull rider will suffer a horrific injury, it’s a matter of WHEN.”
Rank premiered at the 2006 South by Southwest Film Festival, followed by a long run on cable television (IFC).
“Rank is an evocative, beautifully shot look at a classic piece of Americana. The filmmakers opt for an almost meditative, ethereal style that results in a unique take on a subject usually treated in a more breathless and sensationalist manner."
- New York Magazine