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Rebel Ridge follows former Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) as he's on his way to post bail for his young cousin. However, his journey puts him in the middle of a deep-seated corruption scheme in the small police force of Shelby Springs and right in the face of its corrupt police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). As they set out to make Terry's life impossible, he's determined to haunt the motherfu¢kers himself.
I've had my eye on director and writer Jeremy Saulnier since I got my eyes on Blue Ruin and Green Room, so I was kinda looking forward to this; and yet it's like I wasn't really prepared for how much this film ruled, and it seems that the world agrees with me. It is so satisfying to see a mid-budget *original* action/drama/thriller getting all this attention... with no big "stars" or big SFX/CGI; just a compelling story, great performances and characters, all while staying true to the director's style.
A big part of the success of this film has to be on Pierre's shoulders. Despite being cast mid-way through production after John Boyega stepped down, Pierre seamlessly stepped into the role of Terry and made it totally his. Calm, cool, collected, and yet full of fierce intensity ready to blow. But the rest of the cast is just as good, from Johnson's slimy police chief to Emory Cohen as his corrupt deputy and AnnaSophia Robb as the courthouse clerk that tries to help Terry.
But aside from the performances, there's some true mastery behind the camera here. The cinematography from David Gallego is great, but it is Saulnier himself who takes the cake as director, writer, and editor. The way he builds up the tension and the mystery around who Terry is, or what he might do, is so palpable that it comes off the screen. The dialogue is so on point that random quotes can't help but stick with you afterwards.
There are certainly traces of other films in Rebel Ridge (most notably First Blood), but Saulnier is skilled enough to honor those inspirations while carving his own path. His film is, in many ways, simple and yet it still manages to address complex issues like police brutality, corruption, and racism in a smart way. His characters might also seem simple, but they're all richly detailed in their simplicity, which makes it easier for us to root for Terry to haunt these motherfu¢kers himself.
Grade:
REBEL RIDGE
(2024, Saulnier)
(2024, Saulnier)
"I don't know enough about the afterlife to trust in it, so while I'm here, and he's not, I gotta haunt these motherfu¢kers myself."
Rebel Ridge follows former Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) as he's on his way to post bail for his young cousin. However, his journey puts him in the middle of a deep-seated corruption scheme in the small police force of Shelby Springs and right in the face of its corrupt police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). As they set out to make Terry's life impossible, he's determined to haunt the motherfu¢kers himself.
I've had my eye on director and writer Jeremy Saulnier since I got my eyes on Blue Ruin and Green Room, so I was kinda looking forward to this; and yet it's like I wasn't really prepared for how much this film ruled, and it seems that the world agrees with me. It is so satisfying to see a mid-budget *original* action/drama/thriller getting all this attention... with no big "stars" or big SFX/CGI; just a compelling story, great performances and characters, all while staying true to the director's style.
A big part of the success of this film has to be on Pierre's shoulders. Despite being cast mid-way through production after John Boyega stepped down, Pierre seamlessly stepped into the role of Terry and made it totally his. Calm, cool, collected, and yet full of fierce intensity ready to blow. But the rest of the cast is just as good, from Johnson's slimy police chief to Emory Cohen as his corrupt deputy and AnnaSophia Robb as the courthouse clerk that tries to help Terry.
But aside from the performances, there's some true mastery behind the camera here. The cinematography from David Gallego is great, but it is Saulnier himself who takes the cake as director, writer, and editor. The way he builds up the tension and the mystery around who Terry is, or what he might do, is so palpable that it comes off the screen. The dialogue is so on point that random quotes can't help but stick with you afterwards.
There are certainly traces of other films in Rebel Ridge (most notably First Blood), but Saulnier is skilled enough to honor those inspirations while carving his own path. His film is, in many ways, simple and yet it still manages to address complex issues like police brutality, corruption, and racism in a smart way. His characters might also seem simple, but they're all richly detailed in their simplicity, which makes it easier for us to root for Terry to haunt these motherfu¢kers himself.
Grade: