“Rebel Ridge” Review

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Netflix

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hd

Netflix basic with Ads

Flatrate

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At first glance, Rebel Ridge has all the warning signs of another bland Netflix-style foray into routine action. This film, however, is directed by the skillful Jeremy Saulnier, a director who knew how to wield a brutal thriller with 2015’s Green Room. He brings that same level of grit to this picture by making its tale of police corruption and vicious revenge as thrilling as it is tactful, where there’s more excitement leading up to the inevitable shootout and car chase.

It’s easy to get wrapped into the story with the first intense scene in the small town of Shelby Springs. Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is unlawfully pulled over by the cops while on his bike. As they search him, they question the money he has in his possession. A surprisingly calm Terry states that the money came from a restaurant he worked at and that he intends to pay off his cousin’s bail to start a new life. The corrupt police confiscate this money and Terry finds himself struggling to find the right legal loopholes to jump through to free his cousin.

There’s the subtle suggestion that Terry is going to kick ass as a last resort with his demeanor that remains disturbingly patient through all of this. He accepts the help of the sympathetic court clerk Summer (AnnaSophia Robb), but her expert advice can only go so far. The big boss to defeat in all of this is Police Chief Sandy Burnne, played with believable venom by Don Johnson and is one of the finer roles he’s had late in his career. Terry tries every tactic of appealing to Burnne’s nature to free a family member, ranging from police reports to under-the-table deals. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before all that fails and Terry takes the violent route.

Even when the film gets to that satisfying moment of Terry’s military history being revealed and him taking down cops in non-lethal methods, Terry doesn’t turn into a mindless action hero who spouts catchphrase by that point in the film. He still needs to unravel the greater mystery of Shelby Springs with its police station plumped with enough cash for a bank and enough firearms for a militia. The reason is not as compelling as the connecting of the dots, where obtaining hidden police cam footage is more shocking than knowing what was recorded.

The cunning screenplay never gets lost in the specifics or allows the film to become bogged down in backstories. Terry doesn’t no for sure what’s on the police footage and neither to the accomplices, including a corrupted judge (James Cromwell). We all know that police brutality is on those hard drives, and the film doesn’t waste our time explaining it or offering some tepid, not-all-cops bullshit excuse for these actions. Even the film’s one good cop worth sympathizing, Officer Jessica Sims (Zsane Jhe), is still bound by the law she serves, despite how much she wants to be on Terry’s side. Most of the time, she lies in wait for the perfect opportunity to get back at the chief while still maintaining her job. She may not be the greatest cop, but she’s the smartest one to have on your side within Shelby Springs.

The smarts carry into nearly every character for this film. Summer ends up getting drugged by the dirty cops for her involvement, but she’s smart enough to realize she shouldn’t go to the hospital, as a drug charge could risk her losing custody of her child. At the same time, Terry’s firm behavior is not adverse to growing irritated, making his few outbursts terrifying, like a quiet dad who starts shouting when pushed to the edge. The egotism of Burnne is not entirely unfounded, considering that he’s aware of how much control he has over Terry’s situation, exercising his authority to tell Terry to fuck off when he feels like it.

There’s rarely a dull or dumb moment in the expert assembly of Rebel Ridge. Nearly every scene has strong performances and a dark atmosphere, aided by Brooke Blair and Will Blair’s grim soundtrack. After so many Netflix films that tried and failed to deliver similar scenarios, this picture was a refreshing dose of expertly directed action in a script with as much brains as brawn. If Netflix films like The Gray Man and Trigger Warning were greasy action junk food without much flavor, then Rebel Ridge is the finely-cut steak dinner that action-thriller have been starving for. I ate well with this one.