If you want a high-velocity, muscular, and sharply tense dramatic thriller, which also doubles as a penetrating action film, more or less, in the parlance of the kids, we are so back. Or rather, the acclaimed indie director Jeremy Saulnier has finally returned with his long-awaited fifth feature film and, more importantly, returns to form after the minor misstep of 2019’s “Hold the Dark.” His best film since “Green Room,” and nearly as gripping, anxiety-inducing, and visceral, Saulnier’s “Rebel Ridge” is a no-fuss, no-muss dynamic action thriller. It may not quite be as brutal or desperate—the circumstances of his punk-rock Neo-Nazi movie are rather dire—but that’s only because its protagonist is usually in tight control, a living, breathing, deadly weapon not to be f*cked with.
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And yes, “Rebel Ridge” has taken nearly four years to come to the screen, which always raises red flags. But beyond the reality of all the scenes drama—the film had to be shot three different times, once because of COVID, once because a lead actor dropped out of the movie abruptly, and once to start over— no issues are evident in the movie’s fine quality, so any apprehensions should be left at the front door.
“Rebel Ridge” wastes not one second getting started. A black man and former veteran on a bicycle, Terry Richmond (an excellent Aaron Pierre from “Underground Railroad”), has ridden into a small Shelby Springs rural town to post bail for his cousin. Listening to headphones loudly and not able to hear the police car behind him telling him to pull over, the squad car purposefully nudges him enough to send him crashing down off the bike. Detained by Officer Evan Marston (David Denman) and Officer Steve Lann (Emory Cohen), they question and search him and eventually unjustly seize (read: steal) the $36,000 that Richmond has scraped together to bail out his cousin from jail—incarcerated on a bullsh*t small weed charge and held for an extraordinarily long 90 days.
But an urgency quickly arises as Richmond is told at a municipal court—where he tries to argue he has a sealed and signed bail notice but no money, to no avail—that all prisoners in the local jail are being transferred to a much more dangerous state prison and Mike, his cousin (C.J. LeBlanc), will be in serious jeopardy.
AnnaSophia Robb stars as an assistant court clerk who helps out Richmond, explaining how these ACAB police scam of exploiting civil asset forfeiture, and eventually gets maliciously dragged into the drama by the vindictive corrupt cops who eventually do everything they can to hurt and f*ck over Richmond. But Saulnier’s film really ratchets up a gear when Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) enters the picture, and the Black man’s brazen attempts at finding justice aggravate him. What ensues is a pissing contest between the two men that curdles into a tense stand-off.
A man of focused, concrete objectives, Richmond promptly marches straight to the local police office and starts to file a report of stolen property. Eventually, he tries to make a deal with the police to save his cousin, but the Chief tricks and cheats him. But not because the financial offer wasn’t appealing, but because— as the Chief taunts and gloats about it— he’s putting in his place and deceived him for having the audacity to walk into his station and try and set terms. While Johnson never calls Pierre’s character “boy,” those racist dynamics are always heavily implied in the way the cop lords his power over the younger man, suggesting he will never be in control, and makes him eat shit whenever possible (and while never stated, it’s clear this is Trump country).
Now, a heated gets personal and begins to swiftly escalate into violence because Richmond has been pushed to the edge. As soon as it’s revealed that this highly strategic and intelligent man is more than just a Marine veteran— a killer Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor specialist who has his own Wikipedia page—the cops become alarmed and draw weapons. The former soldier quickly puts everyone in check, disarms them all, holds them hostage in their own police station, and takes back his own money—well, only the tiny percentage of bail money as a deal’s a deal.
To that end, ‘Ridge’ unpacks much about personal integrity, honor, the fight for dignity, and moral righteousness, which triggers the chief who lacks all these qualities and masquerades as someone chosen to serve and protect. Suffice it to say these dishonest redneck cops are incensed, and an all-out war of accelerating payback erupts between the two sides that is violent, bone-crunching, and ferocious.
Superficially reminiscent of “First Blood,” while “Rebel Ridge” explores systemic American injustice and, more subtly, systemic racism and bias, it’s arguably not as layered as the wrenching idea of a discarded, mentally disturbed loner war veteran who feels betrayed by his country and then goes on a rampage of revenge. Still, Saulnier’s film is much better; even its social commentary is never really thrust front and center.
Where “Rebel Ridge” thrives is in the intense performances of its actors—a remarkable showcase for Aaron Pierre, who seems destined for stardom and a reminder of how good Don Johnson is at playing a despicable son of a bitch—and its well-orchestrated cinematic action.
The dramatic actioner may not be as meaningful as one hoped, but its streamlined, aggressive nature works in this lean and mean context. Saulnier’s filmmaking arsenal is proficient, and he’s an expert in crafting seething suspense and tightly coiled ever-increasing tension and stakes, both on the page and on the screen. A finely tuned effort, ‘Ridge’ is already engrossing its slow-boiling hostilities but becomes nervously electric when it explodes into a dangerous game of reckoning with both sides taking severe casualties. Saulnier’s overall mise en scene is impressive. Everything from precision camera work, rigorous composition, framing and blocking, nimble, tight editing, and stress-inducing music, “Rebel Ridge” kicks ass in the best possible sense, entertaining, thrilling, and always captivating.
One central puzzling curiosity lingers, though. “Rebel Ridge” totally rocks. So why is Saulnier’s terrific movie seemingly being unceremoniously dumped on Netflix this weekend and not screening as a Midnight Madness movie at TIFF and Fantastic Fest, where action-inclined cineastes would absolutely adore it? Strange indeed. Either way, don’t miss this one; Saulnier’s return was worth the wait. [A-]