The loss of a star the caliber of John Boyega mid-shoot would usually be the death knell for a lot of productions. But Jeremy Saulnier’s powerhouse thriller Rebel Ridge comes away shining with Aaron Pierre, who gives a breakout performance that should solidify him as an action star. Under another filmmaker’s guidance, the blandly-titled Rebel Ridge would’ve been a forgettable, straight-to-VOD movie starring Frank Grillo or something. But not under Saulnier, who has proven with Blue Ruin, Green Room, and even the underwhelming Hold the Dark that he isn’t someone who makes forgettable movies. Everything he does packs a mean punch, and this one hits harder than most.
Saulnier is doing his best Joe R. Lansdale impression with Rebel Ridge, a gritty tale of small-town corruption, vengeance, and social justice. The film begins with ex-Marine Terry (Pierre), in a situation that too many Black men will bristle at watching. Riding through a rural road on his bike, earbuds firmly in place, Terry is crashed into a police cruiser and sent hurtling to the ground. What follows are two white cops (David Denman and Emory Cohen) interrogating, harassing, and accusing Terry of vague criminality. They confiscate the bag of cash, $30K, that he was carrying to the courthouse to bail out an imprisoned cousin. It’s drug money, they assume. He can always sue to get it back later, a process that will be too late for Terry’s family member, a murder witness likely to be killed behind bars.
What follows is Terry’s mission to see just a little bit of justice from…well, anywhere or anyone. He instead runs afoul of a system that allows for anyone with a little bit of power to wield it mercilessly over the weak. In a racist town like this, that falls heavily on Terry, who is upended seemingly at every turn. Even when he tries to negotiate with corrupt police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) so that everyone can walk away, no harm no foul, petty vengeance and bruised male egos always bring the situation back towards violence. It’s a good thing Terry is a solider with a particular set of skills that would make Liam Neeson jealous.
I mentioned author Joe R. Lansdale earlier, and Rebel Ridge truly feels like the harsh thrillers and Westerns he is known for, including The Thicket (review here) which also opens this week. Johnson, who is still probably best known for his roles in Miami Vice and Nash Bridges, starred in the Lansdale adaptation Cold in July, of which there are some atmospheric similarities. But this is Saulnier’s film, and as usual he is a stickler for the little details and for going against the grain. Attention is paid to literally every aspect so that we are forced to stay focused for every single minute and to every line of dialogue. Terry attempts multiple times to deescalate the situation, in stark contrast to other movies in which the hero goes in guns blazing. But this isn’t Walking Tall or First Blood; and Terry is a regular guy. But first and foremost he’s a Black man who understands what he’s up against, and that it’s better to just save his cousin and move along. It’s others who constantly push and prod him into a place where that’s no longer an option. When violence occurs, it’s rarely of Terry’s making and always leaves a mark. He also understands how existing in this kind of corruption can affect others, such as Officer Sims (Zsane Jhe), the one Black officer on the force who has seen others like Terry be abused by the system.
Saulnier’s writing is lean and muscular, subtle yet propulsive. Even when Terry is joined by crusading law clerk Summer McBride (Annasophia Robb), the action doesn’t slow down. Summer, who fights from within a broken institution, has nevertheless been the victim of it herself. Together, Terry and Summer are a powerful act driven by rightful rage. While there’s no love story to speak of, thank goodness, you can’t help but cheer on these two as forces of nature, fighting the good fight.
As evidenced by all of his previous work, but most specifically that one killer shootout in Hold the Dark, Saulnier has a gift for action choreography. In particular, the final showdown is beautifully staged and highlight’s Pierre’s physical talents. An imposing, soft-spoken actor whose previous work in Old, Brother, and The Underground Railroad signaled his dramatic gifts, Pierre is believable whether beating down squads of cops or attempting a peaceful negotiation. Rebel Ridge should be the film that takes Pierre to the next level. It’s a shame that Netflix has decided not to give it a theatrical run, or bothered to promote its streaming debut much at all. It’s an oversight they might regret. But if it leads to Saulnier and Pierre doing more in the future, we’ll all be better for it.
Rebel Ridge streams exclusively to Netflix on September 6th.
