Warning! This post contains spoilers for Netflix's Rebel Ridge.
There are seven solid reasons why Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge presents a compelling hook in its opening moments, where a former marine, Terry Richmond, enters a small town and gets rammed off the road by a police vehicle. With what follows, things only get worse for Richmond after the police officers seize the money he wanted to use to bail his cousin out of prison.
The deeper Terry delves into figuring out how he can get his money back, the more he learns about the central town's dark underbelly of systemic corruption. As Rebel Ridge's storyline suggests, it dabbles with familiar themes and tried and tested tropes of the action genre. However, the way the Netflix action movie presents and handles these elements makes it stand out among most other action films, explaining why it has landed in nearly every critic's good books.
6 Rebel Ridge Features Incredible Performances
Aaron Pierre Perfectly Portrays Terry Richmond's Quiet Intensity
As reports suggest, Aaron Pierre was not the first choice to portray Rebel Ridge's protagonist, Terry Richmond. Long before he landed the role, John Boyega was cast to play Terry. However, John Boyega abruptly departed from the project in June 2021, prompting Rebel Ridge's filmmakers to look for a replacement. That is when Aaron Pierre hopped on board. The actor's involvement in the film alone has been a game-changer, given how perfectly Pierre captures Terry's calm intensity.
While one can never guess how John Boyega would have portrayed the Rebel Ridge character, it is hard to imagine anyone else, other than Aaron Pierre, portraying Terry Richmond after watching the film.
Pierre brilliantly portrays how Terry Richmond maintains a stoic demeanor and avoids confrontation unless necessary. At the same time, he also manages to capture the contrasting rage that keeps brewing inside the former marine after the central town's police force keeps testing him. While one can never guess how John Boyega would have portrayed the Rebel Ridge character, it is hard to imagine anyone else other than Aaron Pierre portraying Terry Richmond after watching the film.
5 Rebel Ridge Is Reminiscent Of Classic Action Movies
The Film Is Similar To First Blood & Walking Tall In More Ways Than One
Both narratively and thematically, Rebel Ridge is reminiscent of several classic action flicks, like Walking Tall and First Blood. It includes several distinctive hallmarks that once defined the action genre — from a larger-than-life hero to badass one-liners, from a straightforward storyline to musical scores by Iron Maiden. However, despite riffing on these elements and instilling a sense of nostalgia in viewers, Rebel Ridge does not shy away from avoiding some of the more over-the-top elements of the genre. All in all, it strikes the perfect balance between maintaining relatability and paying homage to its genre roots.
4 Rebel Ridge Masterfully Raises Tension Without Being Too Violent
The Possibility Of Violence Looms Throughout The Film
Jeremy Saulnier has been known for using graphic violence as the primary narrative device to drive the stories in his movies. Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Hold the Dark, and Green Room do not hold back from featuring brutal scenes and relentlessly disturbing aesthetics that enhance their shock value. Unlike Saulnier's previous movies, however, Rebel Ridge barely features any violence. It, in fact, only has a handful of intense action scenes. The film masterfully manages to gradually raise the tension by teasing how the possibility of violence looms over every story beat.
Rebel Ridge Ending Explained
After walking through a slam-bang showdown between Terry Richmond and the police, Rebel Ridge's gripping action drama finally ends on a positive note.
From the opening scene, where the police officers hit Terry's bicycle, it becomes hard not to anticipate a fight between the highly skilled marine and the law enforcers. However, despite teasing this possibility, the film only puts its foot on the pedal in its final arc, where Terry finally unleashes his fury. Even when he does, he avoids resorting to lethal methods to take the police force down. This effectively draws a clear line between the good guy and the bad cops in the film since the officers do not think twice before settling for violent methods to control innocent civilians.
3 Rebel Ridge Has A Great Director At Its Helm
Jeremy Saulnier Cements His Place As A Talented Director With Rebel Ridge
Like Jeremy Saulnier's previous films, Rebel Ridge follows a simple story about a man's struggles against systemic injustice. However, the brilliance with which the director strings together these familiar and simple story elements to generate a pulsating sense of tension throughout its runtime sets the film apart. Rebel Ridge does not give too much exposition to Terry Richmond's relationship with his cousin, Mike. However, with just one scene, where Richmond races against a speeding bus to give his cousin a fist bump, the film provides enough insight into their relationship.
The director also almost makes a separate character out of the central town by capturing how corruption runs so deep in its fabric that no one, not even the few moral police officers, dares to question what's wrong with it before Terry's arrival.
Scenes like these are a testament to Saulnier's ability to tell compelling stories and create rootable characters, who resonate deeply with audiences. Other than delivering memorable character beats and storylines, Saulnier also immerses viewers into the film's setting, making them spectators of the injustices Richmond faces before he fights back. The director also almost makes a separate character out of the central town by capturing how corruption runs so deep in its fabric that no one, not even the few moral police officers, dares to question what's wrong with it before Terry's arrival.
2 Rebel Ridge Brings A New Spin To A Familiar Trope
The Film Subtly Dabbles With Themes Of Racism & Police Brutality
Like Reacher, Road House, Walking Tall, Rambo, and several other action movies and TV shows, Rebel Ridge riffs on the "mysterious stranger" trope. It follows a man whose background initially remains shrouded, portraying him as a mere victim of a small town's unchecked corruption. However, unlike most similar films and shows, it avoids jumping into the action. Before reaching the climatic showdown between the police officers and Terry Richmond, it highlights how the protagonist must first navigate the legal odds stacked against him despite being formidable and overpowered.
Key Facts About Rebel Ridge |
|
Directed & Written by |
Jeremy Saulnier |
Runtime |
2 hours 11 minutes |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score |
95% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
78% |
Instead of purely being a slambang battle between good and evil, Rebel Redge presents itself as a nuanced political thriller that navigates real-world concerns surrounding flawed laws and racism. It shows how, despite realizing that most of the police officers of the central town are racially biased, Terry must keep his head low and not question authority to avoid trouble. The film's political intrigue makes it all the more relatable and realistic.
1 Rebel Ridge Packs Enough Suspense To Keep One Hooked Throughout Its Runtime
The Film Is Constantly Driven By A Strong Sense Of Purpose
Throughout its runtime, Rebel Ridge gives viewers something to look forward to. For instance, in its opening arc, it is hard not to stay invested in Terry's struggles and wonder if he will bail his cousin out before it is too late. Following Mike's death, the film keeps teasing that Terry is at the end of his wits, and only one more confrontation with the police will prompt him to show them what he is capable of.
Rebel Ridge's production started in 2019, but due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic and John Boyega's departure, it took Jeremy Saulnier almost five years to complete the film.
When the character finally loses his cool and sets out to expose the town's police, the film keeps viewers at the edge of their seats by gradually unfolding Terry and Summer's grand plan. There is not one dull moment in Rebel Ridge as it constantly raises the stakes for the main character and hints at how the police officers have made a mistake by messing with him. Even when Rebel Ridge is not exactly propelling its narrative forward, Aaron Pierre's performance as Terry Richmond is enough to keep one engaged.
Former Marine Terry Richmond travels to Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, only to find his savings unjustly seized by a corrupt local police force. With the help of court clerk Summer McBride, Terry uncovers a deep-seated conspiracy and vows to bring justice to the town.
- Cast
- Aaron Pierre, James Cromwell, Chelsea Bryan, Al Vicente, Terence Rosemore, Leslie Nipkow, Rhonda Johnson Dents, Charlie Talbert, Harlon Miller, Clayton Cooper, Caleb J. Thaggard, Jordan Thoma, Angela Griffitt
- Runtime
- 131 Minutes
- Director
- Jeremy Saulnier
- Writers
- Jeremy Saulnier
- Main Genre
- Crime
