REBEL RIDGE movie poster | ©2024 Netflix

Rating: Not Rated
Stars: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, James Cromwell
Writer: Jeremy Saulnier
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: September 6, 2024 (Netflix)

REBEL RIDGE presents us with the not entirely unfamiliar movie scenario of a highly skilled former U.S. Marine who comes into conflict with a corrupt small-town police force.

Where REBEL RIDGE diverges from what we might expect is that it’s much more a conspiracy thriller than an action film, although it has a couple of impressive set pieces. No one could reasonably call this a shoot ‘em up, as (for different reasons), most of the principals are anxious to avoid gunfire.

This doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot of violence, but it is surprisingly and gratifyingly strategic. One of REBEL RIDGE’s most enduring sources of suspense is how our hero, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), will get out of each situation: by wits alone, or with his considerable physical skills.

We meet Terry as he is bicycling along a road, wearing earbuds and listening to heavy metal. This prevents him from hearing the police car behind him.

Terry is on his way to pay cash bail for his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc) before Mike can be transferred to dangerous state prison. The cops, Officers Evan Marston (David Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen), ram Terry’s bike.

Then the cops declare Terry to be guilty of fleeing police pursuit, and confiscate his money ($10,000 for the bail, another $26,000 for a truck he plans to buy) on the grounds that is possibly connected to drug trafficking.

Terry, who has an ability to keep cool surpassing that of most people, tries to get this sorted out legally and peacefully. This leads to an encounter with Shelby Springs police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson).

Court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) doesn’t want to risk her job, but she’s nevertheless sympathetic to Terry’s cause and his plight. She offers what help she can. Neither she nor Terry has any desire to embark on a larger crusade. But then figuring out (and proving) what exactly is going on with the Shelby Springs police department becomes a matter of literal survival.

Director/writer Jeremy Saulnier creates tension from the outset. His pacing maintains our attention, so that we’re engaged by the periodic physical clashes, but we’re not impatient with the verbal confrontations and straight investigation sequences, either.

Saulnier gives us the kind of details both large and small that make sense (what the police department has been doing, how Terry keeps himself presentable while living in the woods) and has a slightly muted visual palette that conforms to the overall genre.

The filmmaker also easily gets us to invest in Terry without hammering on his merits, but rather by demonstrating them. He has a superb partner in actor Pierre, who conveys a great deal with his eyes and physical stance.

Johnson is excellent as the police chief, a man who on the one hand loves his power, and on the other genuinely feels that he’s got few choices. Robb brings a self-effacing manner to her troubled character. Denman is convincing as an especially aggressive cop, and Zsané Jhé exudes competence and integrity as an office-bound officer. James Cromwell is effective in his several scenes as a judge.

REBEL RIDGE has its share of butt-kicking, but it’s smarter, more thoughtful and generally more entertaining than a brief summary might suggest.

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