Film Review: ‘Jockey’: Rookie Director Clint Bentley’s Haunting Character Study

It isn’t often that a person who is 50+ years old and has appeared in over 90 feature films and TV shows delivers what could be considered a “breakthrough performance,” but that is indeed the case with Clifton Collins Jr. in “Jockey.”

The third generation member of a Mexican-German-American acting family, Collins has shown up in many high profile projects such as “Grand Canyon,” “Traffic,” “Star Trek” (2009), “Pacific Rim,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and last year’s “Nightmare Alley,” usually as a generic supporting villain with minimal or no dialogue. The closest Collins has ever gotten to widespread recognition was playing real-life murderer Perry Smith in “Capote” opposite Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Horse Jockeying Is a Dangerous Profession

In “Jockey” Collins takes the lead as Jackson Silva, a rider who has been around the track more than a few times with little to show for it. Like many professional jockeys, Jackson has been involved in multiple accidents resulting in nerve damage, heart problems, and dozens of broken bones. Jackson “thinks” he’s broken his back three times.