Review: “Rebel Ridge” Rocks
Review: ★★★½
“Rebel Ridge,” director Jeremy Saulnier’s fourth feature, is my exact type of movie. A terse, political crime thriller with excellent hand-to-hand combat sequences? You can count me in, not only because I find the content exhilarating, but also because these kinds of thrillers seem few and far between in the blockbuster age we live in.
However, a major red flag almost made me miss out on “Rebel Ridge”: Netflix. Unfortunately, Saulnier’s newest was unceremoniously dumped onto Netflix on a random Friday a couple of weeks ago, and without online buzz, I would have never given the film a shot.
Despite a lack of a theatrical release, “Rebel Ridge” still unequivocally rocks. Everything about the film feels incredibly solid, from an excellent lead performance to the haunting rural setting to the remarkably exact script. Yet what elevates it from solid to occasionally sublime is the ways in which writer-director Saulnier infuses the film with sharp political commentary.
The genesis of this political commentary can be seen in the film’s premise. Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is biking into a rural Louisiana town to post bail for his recently arrested cousin when he is hit by a cop car. The Shelby Springs police force, led by Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), uses this opportunity to harass Terry and take his bail money under the guise of civil asset forfeiture. Aaron then needs to find a way to get $10,000 before his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc) is taken to the state prison.
This launches a procedural nightmare for Terry, who is antagonized as he navigates the corrupt system that stole his money under false pretenses. The first thing you will notice in this movie is how talented Aaron Pierre is. Throughout, he maintains an outward shell of cold confidence, yet simultaneously conveys a fiery interiority driven by the injustices done to him and those around him. His resilience makes him incredibly easy to root for, and his poise will make him a full-fledged action star going forward.
Even without Pierre’s excellent performance, Don Johnson plays his character so despicably that audiences would root for Pierre’s character anyway. Johnson, as well as Emory Cohen, portray a stern smugness and infuriating arrogance in a way that makes Terry’s mission feel impossible, even if he has the upper hand.
As Terry continues to work through the corruption surrounding the Shelby Springs police, his combat prowess is slowly revealed, and the film kicks into second gear. “Rebel Ridge” takes a nonlethal approach to action, with the most satisfying moments being sharp punches and quick gun disassemblies.
A nonviolent approach is incredibly fun to watch, especially given the conventional guns-blazing approach seen elsewhere in the thriller genre. But the choice also adds a wrinkle to the politics of the film — the film forces the audience to ask themselves what is truly necessary to combat corruption.
What really holds “Rebel Ridge” back is its second act. The film takes a turn at the end of the first act, slowing down with tedious legal proceedings. The one-take shots and combat sequences fade away into flatly shot conversations in small rooms about the legality of the corruption. This makes the ending satisfying and educates the audience, but it feels like Sauliner does not have quite enough faith in the viewer to understand all the details at a glance. This lack of trust severely slows down the movie, as it transitions from the first twist to its final act of vengeance.
This whiplash never quite left me while watching, as I began to zone out during the conversations about the systems of corruption. My wandering attention was certainly not helped by the fact I was watching at home on Netflix, with my phone in close reach. In a film that feels so rock solid in its setups and payoffs and its commitment to political commentary, it's very awkward to describe a part of the experience as boring.
Regardless of this quibble, “Rebel Ridge” does mostly redeem itself in the third act, which returns to the action and grand entertainment of the first act, just marred by the fact my cell phone was now in hand instead of on the couch next to me. Aaron Pierre’s star-making performance and the elevated nature of the script made this a very entertaining watch, and something that stands several steps above the 30 other Netflix movies that have probably been released since I started writing this article.
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