Netflix’s latest action thriller, Rebel Ridge, updates the genre with skill and attention while harkening back to the classic movies that inspired it. It stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a one-man army on par with the likes of classic 1980s action stars. However, Terry has a much more compelling moral code he’s following, and the corruption he faces reflects the current cultural climate. Jeremy Saulnier serves as the writer, director, producer, and editor, making it a labor of love for the filmmaker. Rebel Ridge is consistently precise in tone, theme, and pacing throughout.
The story follows Terry as he arrives in the small town of Shelby Springs carrying cash for his cousin’s bail. After having his money essentially stolen by two members of the local police force who run him off the road, Terry follows the department’s corruption to the source and finds even more sinister forces at play. His cousin Mike gets little screentime, as his arrest is the catalyst that brings Terry to town. However, it’s Summer, played by a solid AnnaSophia Robb, who convinces Terry to stay and use his considerable powers to bring justice back to Shelby Springs.
Rebel Ridge Doesn’t Show Its Hand Too Early, Maintaining Stakes & Tension
Saulnier knows how to perfectly pace the story and keep the audience engaged
Saulnier lives up to his reputation for making incredibly tense movies that barely give us a moment to breathe. The first few moments of the story already throw us into the heat of the narrative conflict. Though Rebel Ridge has already been compared to Rambo and Reacher before its premiere, it’s a more sophisticated version of the best action blockbusters with the style of an indie darling. We never learned much about Terry, but I had everything I needed to be firmly on his side and get excited to watch him make the police chief pay.
Played by Don Johnson, Chief Sandy Burnne is undoubtedly evil, but he isn’t a caricature. Aspects of Rebel Ridge are over the top, like Terry’s unmatched strength and skill, but they make sense within the story’s conflict. Though things escalate almost beyond belief by the film’s climax, every step feels purposeful and like a natural progression of the action. There are plenty of fights and showdowns, but Rebel Ridge spreads them evenly throughout the script. The tension grows in quiet moments, and the dramatic turn when Terry and Summer finally start to hold the power is an incredibly satisfying moment.
It’s a subtle but devastating part of the story, and the breadth of the conspiracy that Terry uncovers only makes it more effective.
While Robb does a decent job as Summer, she’s a difficult character to capture, and her storyline is a weaker part of the script. We learn more about Summer’s background than Terry’s, and while this increases his mystique, the exposition of Summer’s character makes her a bit of a sob story. However, this is one of the few places the movie flags. There are a few lines of corny dialogue and overuse of callbacks to military acronyms, but these are small complaints when looking at the larger picture Saulnier is painting.
Mike’s absence in the film and the lack of explanation about Terry and Mike’s past and relationship are purposeful. Mike is representative of the many men who are forgotten about and treated as ancillary to a system that uses them for its gain. It’s a subtle but devastating part of the story, and the breadth of the conspiracy that Terry uncovers only makes it more effective. Pierre has to carry the movie quietly and confidently, and though he’s a touch more believable in the action scenes than the emotional ones, he does excellent work.
Rebel Ridge Balances A Political Story With The Classics Tenets Of The Action Genre
The message behind Rebel Ridge is obvious, but the action is just as important
Rebel Ridge is hardly apolitical, but Saulnier is wise not to have the characters spout overtly prejudiced or self-righteous monologues about the legacy of police brutality and corruption in the U.S. Anyone who’s ever glanced at the news in America is aware of these problems and how deadly they are. Saulnier doesn’t attempt to tackle the long and fraught history of the issue he’s touching upon. He boils down the conflict to one small town and a few short moments that easily represent how simple this complex problem truly is.
It comes down to individual people’s decisions to stop being complacent in corruption and their choice to act. While Terry is impressive and could likely physically stop a train in its tracks, he can’t do everything alone. Saulnier argues that everyone has a line inside them that will eventually be crossed, and it’s then that people can be moved to do good. It’s difficult to make a narrative about police corruption and brutality “enjoyable.” But while there’s tragedy and strife in Rebel Ridge, it’s as exciting as any action movie that’s come before it.
Rebel Ridge will be available to stream on Netflix September 6.