BROKE Director Carlyle Eubank Talks Rodeo Roots and Working with Thunderbolts* Star Wyatt Russell – Interview

Broke caught me completely off guard—in the best way possible. I walked in cold, skipping the trailer, and came out floored. What starts as a modern survival thriller quickly becomes a raw, personal journey layered with the grit of the American West. Naturally, I had to talk to the mind behind it—writer and director Carlyle Eubank.

Right off the bat, I asked about the first spark leading to Broke.

“It started as a big, existential question,” Eubank told me. “That feeling in your late 20s or early 30s when you stop and wonder: ‘Did I make the right choices? Am I on the right road?’ I think a lot of people have that moment. I definitely did.”

Eubank grew up around rodeos and ranch life, and that world naturally found its way into the script.

“It’s my habitat,” he said. “The story just soaked up all these real people, stories, and memories from my life. Writing it, I didn’t have to guess what a character would say—I could hear it.”

That authenticity is all over Broke. It’s gritty and beautiful, especially in how it portrays bronc riding, a sport rarely seen on screen.

“To me, it was the perfect metaphor,” he explained. “It’s about holding onto something that doesn’t want you anymore—whether it’s a dream, a lifestyle, or a calling. Bronc riding is cinematic, tragic, and full of romance. People stick with it even when it breaks them.”

As someone based in Houston, where the rodeo is a big deal, I was excited to hear more about how real the production felt. Eubank confirmed that everything was done for real—snow, rodeos, horses, even fences.

“We shot in Montana, in real weather, with real cowboys. When it snowed, we shot in it. We didn’t fake anything,” he said. “A lot of our cowboy friends helped us make this movie, and they were excited to be part of something authentic.”

Speaking of Montana—I had to ask if it lived up to the hype.

“It’s stunning, all year round,” he said. “I love the summer for rodeos and festivals, but the winters are magical too. Harsh, but beautiful. I think you’d love it.”

One of the most personal moments in Broke—a tense father-son scene fixing a fence—was straight from Eubank’s own life.

“That’s basically a real conversation with my dad. Maybe even one from last week,” he laughed. “Anyone who’s worked on something with their dad probably gets it. And annoyingly, they’re usually right.”

Eubank wore both the writer and director hats, and I was curious how that shaped things on set.

“I didn’t need the actors to say the lines exactly how I wrote them unless it was crucial,” he said. “I chose actors I trusted—Wyatt Russell, Dennis Quaid, Auden Thornton. They brought naturalism. Some scenes felt like jazz—they knew the theme, and they played it out in their own way.”

Wyatt Russell was a standout. When I asked what made him the right fit, Eubank didn’t hesitate.

“He texted me after reading the script, and I could feel his passion. There was no ego, just a connection to the story. He’s got the pedigree—his dad is Kurt Russell—but he also grew up around horses and understood the world. He just fit,” Eubank said. “Every take felt real. I never once called BS.”

That realism made every scene hit harder. It also helped that Eubank had a grounded, collaborative approach. One scene in particular stood out to him as a perfect moment where luck and filmmaking aligned.

“There were a lot of moments like that. The weather, the light, the feeling—it just came together. But we didn’t have extra time. No contingency days. We had to make it work, and we got lucky.”

Eubank poured himself into Broke, and it shows. It’s not just a movie about surviving—it’s about figuring out who you are when the dust settles. It’s about rodeo, regret, and redemption. And yes, it’s a love letter to all of that.

So if you’re looking for something raw, real, and deeply human, Broke is worth the ride and is now on digital here.

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