I saw this on Friday and liked it a good deal. The director, Chloe Zhao, has said it's a doc-drama - a scripted film telling the true story of rodeo cowboy Brady Janreau who suffered a catastrophic head injury while in the ring. All of the "actors" are amateurs including Brady, his father, his sister and friends basically playing their story. You become immersed in their world. Helps that the star - Brady - is attractive and charismatic.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_rider
Here's an interesting interview with the director. https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/better-than-wages-chloe-zhao-discusses-the-rider
Check it out.