The revenge fuelled action thriller Rebel Ridge is another winner from perpetually underrated genre auteur Jeremy Saulnier that will keep viewers glued to the edge of their seats. A reworking of familiar stories that pit a one man wrecking crew with a special set of skills against a corrupted, all powerful band of villains, Rebel Ridge blends top notch filmmaking, subtextual smarts, and rousing action set pieces into a compelling, entertaining, and thoughtful package. It takes a bit longer to find a solid sense of footing than Saulnier’s previous efforts, but it’s never dull and the viewer’s patience is never tested. It’s the shortest feeling movie that clocks in north of two hours that you’re likely to watch all year.
Terry Richardson (Aaron Pierre) is an ex-Marine bicycling to the small town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana to bail out his cousin and future business partner, Michael (C.J. LeBlanc), who’s been picked up on a petty drug charge. Terry knows his cousin can’t end up in prison, and is puzzled as to why his bail has been set at an exceptionally high amount for such a minor crime. Michael had a previous conviction expunged from his record after snitching on some high profile criminals who will target the young man if he’s found and locked down. But as soon as Terry crosses the town line, he’s stopped, humiliated, intimidated, and robbed by a pair of crooked cops (Emory Cohen, David Denman) who take off with all of his bail and business seed money. Terry races against the clock to try and get his money back before C.J. is transferred out of town, but the equally crooked local sheriff (Don Johnson) is determined to make Terry’s life a living hell, something the soldier is willing to respond to in kind. The only sympathetic lawyer in town (AnnaSophia Robb) tells Terry he needs to let this go (and is also reticent to help because she’s in a tough spot, too), but things escalate and the former soldier – a master and instructor of tactical, close quarters combat – is forced to bring the local cops to some sort of justice.
Although Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark) has become a proven master at crafting pressure cooker environments, nothing in Rebel Ridge is as frightening and visceral as the opening sequence that sets the plot in motion. Terry responds to the white officers’ aggression with respect and bewilderment, while they continue to treat the black soldier with incredulity and cruelty. It’s the kind of scene of racially charged violence that has been done before, but Rebel Ridge uses this inciting incident to paint a larger picture of institutionalized inequality where the larger villains are never actually seen.
Rebel Ridge takes place in an America where everyone – including the righteous heroes, loathsome villains, and extending to James Cromwell’s small but potent role as a morally fluid judge – have someone to answer to that doesn’t value their contributions or status. All of these people have been treated like property to be sold, traded, passed around, and discarded, and as one character on the wrong side of the law points out, property doesn’t have any real rights. There’s also a cutting critique throughout Rebel Ridge of the ways modern policing hides behind “less lethal” uses of force to inflict all sorts of brutality in an effort to protect said “property,” one that the hero proves to have a better grasp on than the villains.
It’s not that there’s a moral grey area in Rebel Ridge. There’s a clear line between right and wrong that is crossed mere minutes into Saulnier’s film, but the world in which it unfold is complex in its injustice. This stage setting is handled so deftly by Saulnier that Rebel Ridge starts off as one kind of thriller before branching off in another equally satisfying direction entirely without missing a single beat. On a stylistic level, this means that Saulnier’s latest starts out having less eye catching imagery than his previous films, but once everything is set into motion and the game is fully afoot, the writer-director gets a chance to unload on the viewer with both barrels. The atmosphere is always down, dirty, and gritty, but Saulnier’s view of the narrative and natural landscape becomes eerier and more loaded as the story and its characters progress on their blood soaked, bone shattering journey.
Rising star Pierre, who Canadian viewers might know best from his outstanding recent turn in Clement Virgo’s award winning Brother or a memorable performance in Barry Jenkins’ limited series The Underground Railroad, cuts an imposing, but sympathetic presence. The audience wants Terry to find peace and remain safe, but they also want to watch him kick wholesale amount of redneck ass, and Pierre is more than willing oblige on both counts. Robb gets her meatiest role in quite some time as a frightened, but capable and impassioned professional caught between her past and future. As their antagonist, Johnson delivers the best performance of his career, a turn that’s both frightening, nuanced, and fully reasoned. Johnson plays up the sheriff’s arrogance and hubris, but also gives the character quieter, more chilling moments to show his talents for refracting blame away from himself.
Rebel Ridge has all the ingredients for a satisfying thriller, including a late stage reveal that brilliantly hides how well it is telegraphed earlier in the movie. It’s also smarter than most genre fare tends to get, solidifying Saulnier’s status as a mainstream leaning filmmaker who always creates movies that become appointment viewing worth taking notice of. The tension is always at a fever pitch, and the hero’s journey is a righteous one, but there’s also a deep sense of meaning and purpose. It’s not just good for an action thriller, but a great work of cinema. Period.
Rebel Ridge streams on Netflix starting Friday, September 6, 2024.
