There are certain filmmakers who are working today that when I hear about them working on a film I can’t help but get excited. Guys like Quentin Tarantino and Ridley Scott are a bit obvious, but for good reason. With the new wave of filmmakers a couple who come to mind are the Safdie brothers (Good Times and Uncut Gems), S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, and Brawl in Cell Block 99), Gareth Evans (The Raid films), and then there is Jeremy Saulnier, who has previously knocked my knickers off with Blue Ruin and Green Room. Saulnier is one of those rare talents who knows how to capture the darkness in his characters and takes them to edge and puts them through some pretty hellish kinds of situations, but he manages to keep it all in the realm of reality where we as a viewer can feel everything we are watching could really happen. The way he depicts violence in his films is one aspect that makes it feel so real. He’s unflinching with bones breaking, stab wounds, or shootouts. This rawness he gives his films, and then there is the grittiness to the way he shoots his films. It can be a beautiful backdrop even inside a dying small town, but he’s able to slip in the grime of the characters or create an atmosphere where it feels as though violence can erupt at any moment. So when I first heard about Rebel Ridge, you bet I was excited, though I’ll admit I was disappointed it wasn’t getting a theatrical release and instead it was going straight to Netflix. Was it worth the wait?
I should also mention that the wait for this film was a long one. It was expected to start production in 2020, but because of COVID restrictions it got delayed to 2021. When I originally heard about the film it was going to have John Boyega in the lead role. Now I’ve been a fan of Boyega since I saw him in Attack the Block, so this was casting I was excited about, but then suddenly the film shut down and Boyega had left the film. Normally this kind of thing would kill a film production, but as it would turn out I feel it was a blessing in disguise, because the replacement was a relatively unknown, Aaron Pierre, to play the lead. Aaron Pierre is what makes this film, and if he doesn’t become a star after this, that is a damn shame.
Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), an ex-Marine, is riding his bike through a southern small town on his way to pay for his cousin’s bail when he has an altercation with the local police. This opening sequence is an important one, as it sets up the rest of the film and gives us a peek into the corruption of the police department and a bit of subtle racism that is going on. With the police confiscating the bail money, this sets off a chain reaction of events that unfold over the course of the film. In town Terry meets Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb), who works as a clerk for the courts, who knows that there is some kind of corruption going on in her small town, and she decides to help Terry out at her own peril. AnnaSophia Robb is another relative newcomer, though she does have a nice resume and was in one of my favorite coming-of-age films, The Way Way Back, but this performance is a great one. She was giving me Holly Hunter and Jodie Foster vibes in a good way.
Running the corrupt police force is Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). He thinks he can handle Terry just as he has with many other individuals who have passed through his town and were easily intimidated by a badge. Unfortunately Terry is a little more than just an ex-Marine, and when these two come face to face, the tension is simply cinematic gold. Johnson has been on a roll lately with playing great villains, and this time he gives this character added nuance. This is definitely one of my favorite performances from Johnson.
A simple way to describe this film is that it is a fun mash-up of First Blood and Copland, but in a small town Louisiana setting. The plot feels familiar; I’m sure many will think of the Reacher films and TV series, but those are just lacking a sense of realism and are just over-the-top action films. Rebel Ridge is a film that has something to say while having style and telling a good story all at the same time. One of the best things going for this film is how it is constantly subverting expectations, there are a few times where I kind of expected it to go this predictable route, but instead it swerves, while never feeling like its straying to far from reality. There’s a great sequence when the Chief and Terry are facing down one another and the Chief is giving Terry an opportunity to leave town and never come back. Sure, we’ve seen it before, but with these emotional stakes at play? I think not. This is definitely a modern day western, and the backwoods setting along with the dying small town are just a perfect fit with this story. One clever thing I like with the writing of this film is how Chief Burne justifies his actions. You can almost believe his story for why he’s become corrupt, but that’s what makes him so clever and evil, because he knows how to feed everyone a lie and get them to play along.
I love seeing Terry and Summer working together in this film. They have great chemistry without turning their friendship into a relationship. I love that we get that Summer is a flawed human, but we see her constantly attempting to redeem herself. There are other smaller and yet solid performances that pop up as well, like James Cromwell as the town’s judge. Cromwell simply always delivers in my eyes, and though this is a small role, it is effective and is another key piece to what makes this film so good.
From the moment I saw Blue Ruin, I felt Jeremy Saulnier was a guy to keep an eye on. He’s a triple threat when it comes to being a writer, director, and editor. His films are uniquely his but definitely remind me of old school Scorsese when he was doing films like Taxi Driver. I’ll admit Netflix hasn’t always knocked it out of the park with most of their films, but when they got something good, it is typically really good. Rebel Ridge is definitely one of those hits that I know I’ll be revisiting many times down the road. As we enter awards season, this is one I think has a chance to sneak in. This isn’t boring awards-bait nonsense, but instead just a solid film that executes on every front.
Rebel Ridge is streaming now on Netflix.
