Rebel Ridge (2024): From Small Town Corruption to Civil War - REVIEW

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There is satisfaction when you jump in to watch a movie that you thought would be bellow average or at least wont let you finish it and been satisfied about it, gives you context and closure at the ending, Rebel Ridge is just that, a movie I thought was going to be bellow average but took me by surprise with some good action sequences and drama, not pretending its the best movie of 2024 but its a very well deserve 7/10, really earn it.

Known for his intense thrillers like "Blue Ruin" and "Green Room," Saulnier presents his best effort in this one, delivering a thrilling experience with a lot of action and drama, but not just kicking and shooting. I've been impressed by some of Saulnier's previous works, so I was eager to see his approach to a more conventional action movie, and he didn't disappoint. Rebel Ridge" brings to mind those tough action films from the 90s, yet it has a modern interpretation that makes it seem modern and significant.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11301886/
• Platform: NETFLIX

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In the movie there is Aaron Pierre who plays Terry Richmond, a former Marine who is simply trying to help his cousin. He is heading into this small town called Shelby Springs with a stack of cash to help his relative get out of jail. Sounds simple enough, right? will if only life was simple. Terry is shocked by some corrupt cops who basically take his money using the cover of "civil forfeiture", tf is that.

This is where things start to become interesting because Terry is certainly not going to accept this passively, we talking the G.I Joe action guy letting it slide, hell nah. He starts his own investigation on this guys and what he finds is a serious heap of corruption that extends way further than he had imagined. Here we are talking about an authority that has essentially become a legalized crime syndicate, using their power to benefit themselves, when ever we have similar cases usually people think "oh just like the movies" but in fact movies many times are made about real people so its nothing new under the sun.

In Terry's efforts to get justice for his cousin and to save him, he encounters Summer McBride, a character portrayed by AnnaSophia Robb who is a court clerk. While she has her own inner struggles, Terry becomes to her an opportunity to take action against the corruption she has seen, this movie is starting to sound a lot like Reacher but its not, just similar. In partnership they dissect this complicated web of lies and it gets chaotic quickly. On this movie the director Jeremy Saulnier has certain technique for increasing tension is exceptional. Every scene links with the one before and before you recognize it you're in the thick of this intense fight between Terry and the corrupt police force lead by Chief Sandy Burnne, reminiscent of enjoying a pressure cooker ready to blow, and you can't help but watch.

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If we take a look at the cast, its not some extraordinary group of actions like AAA+ movies cast but they certainly did a great job, with one of those streaming gems movies. Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, absolutely nails it, you can easily recognize this guy's star power. He presents this subtle intensity to Terry that's simply fascinating, you can sense his military background influencing every action he takes, while still observing a vulnerability that makes him seem one of the good guys, he still has faith in humanity. Pierre matches up well with Don Johnson, he is wonderfully slimy as Chief Sandy Burnne. It's definitely a long way from his days on Miami Vice, for certain. Johnson demonstrate a perfect combination of condescending superiority and just barely restrained fury in his role as Burnne, you can see he's accustomed to getting what he wants and seeing him slowly accept that Terry is his equal is just awesome.

AnnaSophia Robb's performance as Summer McBride is reliable too, she serves as a good counterweight to all the testosterone in the air. Summer isn't only a damsel needing rescue or a romantic lead, well not romantic but its just an expression; she has her own development and intentions, she develops her character with this combination of determination and vulnerability that appears to be real. The remainder of the supporting cast also does a fantastic job with David Denman and Emory Cohen in the roles of the corrupt cops are perfectly wretched, and pay attention for James Cromwell in a minor but important part, mad acting skills too.

After watching the movie I was curious about other projects been on and I remember him from the movie Old (2021), many viewers have mention how of a great job he did after he pick up Rebel Ridge, since the protagonist was initially going to be play by John Boyega the guy from Pacific Rim: Uprising or mostly known for his role in Star Wars: Episode VII, he drop the role and there was some speculation that it was because the movie itself was bad although he and his manager came up front saying that it was because of a schedule issue and family reasons.

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Still a big part of the audience feel the same way as I do, even comparing Rebel Ridge to a Rambo movie, so could Aaron Pierre be the new Rambo? I think that's going too far, Rambo is a character specific to an era in cinema. Although it has its imperfections, I truly enjoyed 'Rebel Ridge.' The type of film that brings to mind why you are such a lover of movies in the first place, to look for those gems and appreciate a movie that is not at the very top or with the highest budget, specially now days that we got stream only releases. The movie is full of excitement, stress, a touch of social critique and hero you can backup, I doubt there is any more to ask.

I found the action handling by Saulnier to be one thing I really appreciated. As we find ourselves in an age filled with action movies that are a chaotic blend of fast cuts and unstable camerawork, it was a welcome change to see action that was clear, coherent and actually exciting, watching Terry confront several cops in the police station with almost no way to escape builds up a lot of tension and got you in alert mode.

As expected without giving details, the ending of the movie comes to a gratifying conclusion for the main conflict, this is not a complicated movie by no means and I doubt there is a sequel. Terry reaches his moment of success and finally justice is serve, but in contrast, it also creates some unresolved issues, nothing big although details that make people mad about.

In conclusion, would I recommend "Rebel Ridge?" I think after writing this post the answer is very clear, that's an affirmative YES. Is it perfect? Nah, but what movie is? there is dedication to this movie in every aspect, while writing this post I found myself talking better about it than some of my favorite movies. This movie represents is a strong, enjoyable thriller that is definitely worth your investment of time, because now days watching a movie or specially a TV series is a serious time investment for me and I know for many others. It has excitement, it has sentiment, and it has a message.

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