Rebel Ridge focuses on Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) and his effort to pay bail for his cousin, Mike (C.J. LeBlanc). As you might expect in a movie such as this, Terry’s trip to the courthouse is interrupted by officers Steve and Evan (Emory Cohen and David Denman). After later meeting Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) and Elliot (Steve Zissis), both of whom work in the clerk’s office but are slightly adverse to help, Terry goes to the police station himself to report the earlier altercation. Upon meeting with Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and Officer Sims (Zsane Jhe), Terry is forced to rethink his strategy and approach.
To give anything else away would be a disservice, as the entire cast of the film does a great job with this film, particularly Pierre as lead, Robb in an assistant role, and Johnson as the chief. In terms of scope, the film is impressive because many of the relationships develop over a few days yet come across as sincere. The film juggles multiple genre tropes, dabbling in the thriller and noir space as well as western. There’s even a late secret identity reveal. Balancing ideas of American patriotism and familial relationships, Rebel Ridge is of a specific time, space, and region, feeling familiar yet nuanced and unpredictable enough to keep audiences interested. Even the climax doesn’t play out the way one might expect; be forewarned, watching the trailer in advance is mostly a misdirect, but it does hint at the consistent pace of the film.
Beyond the cast and strong leads, audiences will also appreciate the setting. The film takes place in fictional Shelby Springs and uses New Orleans, Leesville, and Tangipahoa Parish as set locations. The natural spaces add to the familiarity of the story, conveying that we are in America’s backyard but not too far from home. This aids the western feel which is majorly appreciated because not enough films use Louisiana as a setting, post-Hurricane Katrina. Mixing this with corruption, drug trade, and their effect on communities, the film comments subtly and overtly. At its foundation, this is the story of one man attempting to bail a family member out of jail before a prison transfer, and doing whatever it takes to keep that promise. The majority of the story relies on doing right by family, no matter what.
Pierre performs well in this film, particularly because of his endearing eyes, physical nature, and line delivery. His character’s profession is also a genius choice for the script because the actor can be brutish and enigmatic at the same time. Audiences never see the full extent of his strength and wit; that’s difficult to maintain for this length of time, but it’s successful. The way in which Terry fights back against the opposition with a specific type of physicality and morals, reminiscent of Batman at times, is an admirable achievement. Hopefully Pierre continues to acquire lead roles.
The sound design in the film, mostly car chases, shootouts, and conversations in secret that veer into arguments, works well, leading to one of the minor issues that pops up in the film. The rock-centric soundtrack might be jarring at first, but upon reflection works well for the film. Opening with Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” sets the tone of the film as well as the lead’s characterization, reminding audiences that this is not Terry’s hometown. He’s an outsider entering unknown territory. He may be familiar with the space through familial relations, but it’s not his backyard by any means. In turn, he quickly becomes familiar with its geography, which emphasizes his skills and talents. So his love of rock and the consistent use of it in the film might underscore the distinction that he’s not from this area and additionally conveys that the audience doesn’t know him fully either.
If Netflix is listening, these are the types of original films general audiences show up for and would likely pay to see in theaters. Rebel Ridge amassed over 30 million views in its first week and word of mouth is continuing that viewing trend. This is a quiet thriller and alternative western with a clear understanding of genre and craft. We’re excited for Pierre’s next turn.
Rebel Ridge is currently available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
If Netflix is listening, these are the types of original films general audiences show up for and would likely pay to see in theaters. Rebel Ridge amassed over 30 million views in its first week and word of mouth is continuing that viewing trend. This is a quiet thriller and alternative western with a clear understanding of genre and craft. We’re excited for Pierre's next turn.
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Jeffrey W. Peterson is a teacher, critic, and writer. He previously taught English Composition at Spelman College and the University of West Georgia, as well as Language Arts and percussion at metro-Atlanta high schools. He currently teaches at Fusion Academy in Alpharetta, GA, while pursuing a PhD in Moving Image Studies at Georgia State University. He has a BA in English, an MFA in Writing, and in addition to membership in Atlanta Film Critics Circle (AFCC), he’s also a member of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic. Previous work appears in Naija Nerds, The Streamr, Murphy’s Multiverse, and Indie Film Minute.
