REBEL RIDGE
(***½)-VITO CARLI

"...a very satisfying action film that has a great payoff"

Fine Performances and First-Rate Action

(010925) Rebel Ridge is a taut and powerful thriller that may shock some viewers with its graphic violence and its unflinchingly negative view of the men in blue. Like the classic Serpico (1973) and Prince of the City (198I), it deals with the still relevant issues of police brutality and deeply ingrained police corruption. It was directed by Jeremy Saulnier, the writer/director/cinematographer that also made the punk influenced horror film, The Green Room (20I5). But he is probably best known for directing episodes of the award-winning TV show, True Detective (2019).

The film’s fine ensemble cast is largely made up of TV actors who give unshowy, natural performances. The English actor Aaron Stone Pierre, who is perhaps best known for his recurring role on the Syfy series Krypton, is totally convincing as Terry, the decent and physically powerful main character who is an all-American soft-spoken regular guy and ex-marine. Anna Sophia Robb who was seen in the biopic, Soul Surfer (2011), provides great support, playing Summer, a courageous court clerk with a bad past who helps solve a mystery. The poet/actress Zsane Jhe, a regular on the Black Lightning CW series plays an inexperienced African-American cop trying to prove herself to her superiors, not knowing how corrupt they are. She takes on the "one good cop" role and at least acts like a human being. Although she initially sides with the other cops she starts to have suspicions about them as she sees more.

Finally, best of all is a terrific, scene stealing performance by Don Johnson who has evolved into a fine character actor showing a special flair for playing scumbag roles. Here he plays a sleazy, corrupt cop portraying the dark side of his previous roles as the "good cop" on Miami Vice and Nash Bridges. Every minute he is on screen is fascinating and he clearly relishes playing the nearly over the top almost purely evil role. It would be tough for any character to be reprehensible as Johnson’s plantation owner in
Django Unchained (2012) but this one come close.

The story takes place in a part of Louisiana named Shelby Springs which is depicted as being very backward in terms of race relations. It is strongly implied that much of the town is racist and the sheriff often calls the main black character “boy” and before the other villagers even know what is going on, they seem perfectly willing to lynch the protagonist.

Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is an unlucky African-American veteran who rides a bike through Shelby Springs with a knapsack on his back. He is cycling because he had just sold his car to raise bail for his cousin who is incarcerated for carrying a small amount of marijuana. A pair of heartless, thuggish police officers pulls him over and questions him. They search him and find thirty thousand dollars in his backpack that he means to use to bail out his jailed cousin. He also wants to use some of the money to buy a truck so he can start a boat hauling service with his cousin. The cops assume or at least say that they suspect the money will be used to start a narcotic selling service and they take the money as evidence, probably not intending to give it back.

Terry assumes that the officers are lone, isolated bad cops, but when he reports the cops’ mistreatment, the commanding officer (Don Johnson) fully supports his police. Terry gets increasingly desperate when he learns that if he does not bail his cousin out in time, he will be transferred to a stricter maximum-security prison for hardened felons which will put him in greater risk.

The only person who is willing to help Terry is the compassionate clerk, Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb in the film’s most likeable character) who is a former addict who was given a second chance. He puts her career at risk by rummaging through microfilms to untangle a web of corruption in which the police collude with the courts to rip off suspects in order to fund the police department. It turns out that as a general policy the police target and arrest people with drug records so that they can take their money or property to financially support their non-government funded police department
that is hurting for money and not properly funded. They can do this because under existing drug laws police can confiscate money or property that they suspect came from drug related sources and the police use the law as an excuse to target and shake down people with drug histories.

Once Terry, who is an expert close quarters martial artist and former marine finds out the depths of corruption and the impossibility of recovering his money through legal channels he takes aggressive action. Like the heroes in 70's action classics like Walking Tall and Billy Jack, he singles handedly takes on a whole corrupt posse of villains and faces off against them in an armed conflict. The film has above average, believable action scenes and Terry uses his intelligence, training and military weapons to outwit and outfight his foes.

The film is one of the most critically acclaimed Netflix films of the year, and it received a rotten tomatoes rating of 96 percent which is higher than many of the Best Picture Nominees at the Golden Globes. In addition, it also won Best TV Movie/Miniseries at the Critic’s Choice Awards as well as winding up on the Rolling Stone Ten Best Films of 2024 list. However I have a few minor complaints about the film. "Rebel Ridge" sounds a little too much like "Ruby Ridge". That of course was the Idaho small town where the August 1992 standoff between the FBI an the Weaver Family occurred. That's a connection the producers may not have wanted to evoke and could overshadow or shade the quality of this thriller. Also, the ending leaves everything a little too wide open, and it does not adequately wrap things up as conclusively as I would have liked. But Rebel Ridge is still a very satisfying action film that has a great payoff. It is streaming for free on Netflix, but it compares well with many of the higher profile award season releases. As a matter of fact, the only action film that surpassed it this year was
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga  although the Civil War had its great moments..
 

Directed & Written by:  Jaradine Salnier
Starring:    Aaron Stone Pierre, Don Johnson, AnneSophiea
 Robb
Released:    10/11/2024
Length:    131 minutes
Rating:    MA for strong violence, gore and profanity
Available On:    Netflix

For more writings by Vittorio Carli go to www.artinterviews.org and www.chicagopoetry.org. His latest book "Tape Worm Salad with Olive Oil for Extra Flavor" is also available.
Email carlivit@gmail.com

See the film trailer of the Lee Groban movie directed by Nancy Bechtol featuring Vittorio Carli.
See https://youtu.be/tWQf-UruQw

Come to the New Poetry Show on the first Saturday of every month at Tangible Books in
Bridgeport from 7-9 at 3324 South Halsted.

This is now a monthly show featuring Poetry/Spoken Word, some Music, Stand Up and Performance Art and hosted by Mister Carli. For more information e-mail: carlivit@gmail.com for details


Upcoming features at the Poetry Show:

February 1st: Felissia Mae Cappeletti, Chiron Kingfish, and Adrienne Sunshine Nadeu
 

REBEL RIDGE © 2025 Bonneville Pictures
All Rights Reserved

Review © 2025 Alternate Reality, Inc.

 

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