Rebel Ridge is the very definition of a rough diamond. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who gave audiences Jean-Luc Picard in neo-Nazi skinhead horror Green Room, this is no less un-nerving. Saddled with a simple premise, that finds combat veteran Terry accosted by local law enforcement on his way to deliver bail money, Rebel Ridge remains a simmering hotpot of low burn tension throughout. Much of that comes from a searing central performance by Aaron Pierre (Underground Railroad), who takes cool, calm, and collected to new heights. Approaching every bend in the road with an understated presence of mind, Terry is always looking for the low impact resolution in any given situation. In opposition to a low-key Don Johnson as Chief Sandy Burne, Rebel Ridge keeps momentum throughout, and continually delivers twists in a tale that has been told countless times before.
Reminiscent of Rambo: First Blood, which saw Sylvester Stallone face off against the late Brian Dennehy in a similar fashion, Rebel Ridge succeeds because of simple escalation. Looking to resolve an unlawful act against him, Terry takes matters into his own hands and hits numerous roadblocks. Unwilling to lay down and take it or be paid off by the corrupt, this character study in discrimination also takes on a racial edge. Purely based on skin colour and the prejudice of a culture taught to assume the worse from different ethnicities, Rebel Ridge gets into hot water very quickly. What begins as a trumped-up minor infraction, soon escalates into a face-saving exercise for the local law enforcement.
At no point does writer-director Jeremy Saulnier take the easy road or let his audience off the hook. Choosing instead to show the insular small town mentality of a self-serving authority figure, when someone comes onto his home turf and disrupts the status quo. Over a two hour running time with solid support from David Denham (Mare of Easttown) and AnnaSophia Robb (The Way Way Back), not one single cast member drops the ball. Leaving audiences to contend with a southern thriller that offers no easy answers to the deep rooted prejudice that underpins its darker moments. Even in the latter stages of Rebel Ridge, when lesser examples of this genre would seek safety in conventional closure, Saulnier keeps his audience guessing. Concluding this tightly scripted Netflix original film with shades of grey, meaning no one comes out on top. Morally on point, packed with powerful performances, and with more than a little to say about contemporary prejudice – Rebel Ridge deserved a cinema release.
Rebel Ridge is available to stream on Netflix now.