Picture: Netflix
From the creative team behind critically acclaimed crime thrillers Blue Ruin and Green Room, Rebel Ridge brings us right back into their sweet spot: small-town revenge with big-time tension.
Set in Shelby Springs, Louisiana, the story centers on former Marine combat instructor Terry Richmond (The Underground Railroad star Aaron Pierre), who simply wants to post bail for his cousin before he’s transferred to a prison that would put him in mortal danger. But when a set of police officers pull him over and seize his money without probable cause, Richmond sets out to confront those responsible and get his money back before it’s too late.
Enter police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his corrupt band of local law enforcement. Taking umbrage with Richmond’s report on his officers as a robbery and his dictation of terms to get his money released, Burnne sets Terry up to lose everything and sends his cousin to prison.
Forced to act before his cousin could be hunted in prison for turning evidence on a gang leader years ago, Richmond takes matters into his own hands by storming the police station. When he sees too much in his pursuit of his bail money, the story sets on a violent collision course between a highly skilled veteran with nothing to lose and a crooked band of officers looking to stay on top.
Written & directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge blends the conspiracy & crime tinged neo-westerns of the last decade (“Reacher” on the TV side for example) with the tried & true Rambo-style vigilante justice brought upon by a highly skilled man who wasn’t wanted in that small town for one reason or another.
While the on-paper concept could sound derivative of past successes including those of recent memory, the film overcomes those potential pitfalls with the skilled direction of Saulnier and powerful presence of Aaron Pierre.
With his trademark use of mood, tension, & pace, Saulnier eases us into each gripping development, holding us in the discomfort, before smacking us with yet another layer of the story to consider or another methodical action set piece to devour.
Picture: Netflix
Lesser stories would have settled for one story of racial tensions with law enforcement or another with small town police corruption; Saulnier sets the tone for all that and more in the opening scene and adds more characters and more abuses of power piece by piece until it reaches its logical fever pitch.
As for Pierre, he OWNS every scene he’s in. Between his muscular frame, soothing set of eyes, & calm, calculated demeanor, Pierre gives such a commanding presence that gives weight & gravitas to every word he speaks (No wonder he’ll speak for Mufasa in the coming months). Without even hearing of his exemplary service record as a Marine, the audience instantly feels connected to him with a level of trust & confidence in his abilities; the importance of this cannot be understated in a story like this as we need a strong moral compass to guide us through the tangled mess of conspiracies & power grabs.
Picture: Netflix
Pierre’s supporting cast fills in admirably around him with players that know their roles well and can match the whisper tone intensity that Saulnier films are known for. Known for being a folksy, duplicitous sort in recent years since Django Unchained changed his glossier image, Don Johnson plays the crooked arm of the law in the form of Chief Sandy Burnne, a powerful figure who uses his defeat in a messy public civil suit to conjure up more covertly devious plans that keep him on top. Helping guide Terry through the finer aspects of backwoods law – even without a law degree – is AnnaSophia Robb as Summer McBride. Robb navigates us all through “civil asset forfeiture” while having solid chemistry opposite Pierre. We’re also treated to the veteran talents of the legendary James Cromwell as the local Judge and the wonderful character actor David Denman (The Office, Mad Men) as Officer Evan Marston.
Picture: Netflix
Overall, Rebel Ridge is a triumph for writer/director Jeremy Saulnier with his first feature film in 6 years and lead actor Aaron Pierre breaking out as a leading man who can carry a film on sheer magnetism alone. Less talented creators & performers would have made a simpler film or less captivating film in the neo-western genre on the backs of success stories like “Reacher” bringing it back into vogue, but Saulnier and company prove how much a veteran director with vision, mood, & style can elevate the familiar to something compelling and uniquely their own. Rebel Ridge is one of the sleeper hits of the 2024 Netflix slate.
Watch Rebel Ridge If You Like
- Reacher
- Walking Tall
- Blue Ruin
- Trigger Warning
- First Blood
MVP of Rebel Ridge
Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond
While his praises have been sung all over this review, there is no one more befitting the honor of MVP than Pierre in Rebel Ridge. He carries the film on his back from minute one as the coolest customer you never want to see heated up (or do we?).
After years of being in TV ensembles & smaller film roles, Pierre loudly makes his case as a leading man. With his voice of the titular Mufasa in the upcoming Disney blockbuster still to come, 2024 may be the year that Aaron Pierre broke out.
Jeremy Saulnier returns to form with his grunge rock “loud-quiet-loud”, moody yet intense aesthetic set to a neo-western crime thriller. Aaron Pierre stands out in a commanding performance that fits in perfectly with the gripping Saulnier style.
