Netflix has sparked an impressive new action franchise with the release of Rebel Ridge features a strong cast led by Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Don Johnson. The film follows a tension-fueled premise of an ex-Marine getting framed by corrupt cops in a small town in southern America. The ex-Marine is named Terry Richmond, played by Pierre, who ultimately gets into a showdown with Johnson's Chief Sandy Summers after having tens of thousands of dollars stolen from him while being unethically detained by officers Evan Marston (Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen).

By the Reviews for Rebel Ridge have been very strong, resulting in the film earning an impressive Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%. Apart from Rebel Ridge, acclaimed writer and director Jeremy Saulnier is known for Blue Ruin (2013), Green Room (2015), and Hold the Dark (2018).

Rebel Ridge's 95% RT Score Shows Netflix Found An Action Franchise Worth Focusing On

Rebel Ridge has a high critical reception for an original action movie

Rebel Ridge's very high Rotten Tomatoes score indicates that Netflix may have finally struck gold after its many attempts to spark a winning original action franchise. At-home viewers are mostly in agreement with critics on Rebel Ridge, earning the film a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 77%. Critics have universally praised the film's sharp direction, thrilling plot, and outstanding leading man in Pierre. Daniel Joyaux of IndieWire writes, "John Boyega was originally cast as Terry, but Pierre makes the role so thoroughly his own that it’s difficult to imagine anyone else pulling it off. He commands the screen with a handsome authority."

One of the most impressive qualities of Rebel Ridge is its seamless ability to blend style, substance, and originality in the oversaturated action genre. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com writes, "Rebel Ridge” is just a reminder of how thrilling it can be to see a genre piece with this level of artistry." Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press writes, "Like its leading man, Rebel Ridge is a lean, muscular movie with few over-the-top special effects, save for Pierre’s spectacular eyes. It’s a triumph of small-budget, naturalistic filmmaking." Many of the reviews from top critics are 3.5/4 or 4/5 stars, indicating that Rebel Ridge is not just good, but great.

Netflix Hasn't Had Much Luck With Building Action Movie Franchises

The Gray Man, Red Notice, Lift, and Rebel Moon were all heavily criticized

Netflix has had some success in the past with its original content in the action genre, but none that is as promising as Rebel Ridge currently is. Its Extraction franchise led by Chris Hemsworth is one of its greatest success stories and has already sparked two movies, with a third Extraction movie on the way. One of its more notable original action misfires, however, was the Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans-led The Gray Man, which theoretically might have sparked a sequel after its 2022 release if its critical reception had not been so mixed. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, The Gray Man looked like a winner on paper, but received a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of just 45%.

Other Netflix original action movies that failed to achieve the acclaim of Rebel Ridge include the comedy thriller Red Notice, which combined megastars Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson, and Lift, a Kevin Hart-led heist comedy that hardly got off the ground. Then there's Zack Snyder's recent Rebel Moon movies, which received abysmally poor Rotten Tomatoes critic scores of 22% and 16%, respectively. If there were one key factor that separates Rebel Ridge from most of Netflix's biggest original action titles, it might come down to the intelligence, creativity, and mastery of the tonal realism of both the screenplay and the directorial approach.

What Makes Rebel Ridge Different From Past Action Movies On Netflix

Rebel Ridge is naturally compelling and innovative within a topical premise

Rebel Ridge offers a fresh new face in Aaron Pierre and a thrilling take on a realistic scenario known all too well. The opening scene, in which Terry is pulled over and detained by Officers Marston and Lann, feels like a modern-day news story but is so smartly written that it immediately pulls you in with a gripping sense of suspense. From there, the direction that Rebel Ridge takes is at times surprising and even cathartic, as Terry refuses to stand down in the face of corruption by bona fide abs of small-town authority.

Pitting a highly trained veteran against local law enforcement is uncommon and compelling, with great ing characters who feel real and individualized throughout. In short, Rebel Ridge has a clear vision and a direct message but is not overpowered by either, leaving room to grow into Netflix's next original action movie franchise.