If you know nothing about hobbyhorsing — an event in which the participants simulate show jumping and dressage using a stick horse — then you might question how it could be a competitive sport. Lauren Meyering, the director of the sweet and surprisingly sour coming-of-age film “Horsegirls,” anticipates this skepticism; Margarita, the autistic 22-year-old protagonist played by the autistic actress Lillian Carrier, is teased and underestimated, too.
That’s partly why her devoted mother, Sandy (Gretchen Mol), is pushing her to start taking life seriously. Sandy is about to start chemotherapy treatments for cancer, so Margarita’s future — one that might not include her mother — is top of mind. Still, keeping a job and finding independence looks a bit different for a neurodivergent gal, especially one as vivacious (and filterless) as Margarita.
After landing employment at a Halloween store run by a nonchalant and open-minded manager (Iqbal Theba), Margarita stumbles upon a hobbyhorse team mid-practice, and convinces its tough-loving coach (Jerod Haynes) to let her join its ranks. She’s not terribly coordinated, and much older than the group of mercilessly judgmental tweens, but the training, alongside her regular work shifts, nurtures her discipline and growth.
Bursts of fantasy and flurried, slowed-down visuals of Margarita’s workout routine — like trotting on a treadmill — give an enchanted quality to her evolution. It’s a bit corny and cute, but the film balances out these feel-good elements with harder truths that contrast the heroine’s silliness and sincerity to create a weirdly dark and touching sense of humor. This bit of edge is crucial; without it, the film’s calls for empathy and recognition would be as wooden as Margarita’s chosen steed.
Horsegirls Rated PG-13 for cursing and confrontations with mortality. Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes. In theaters.
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