Rebel Ridge (2024)

Rebel Ridge (2024)

 

6/10

Starring          

Aaron Pierre

Don Johnson

AnnaSophia Robb

 

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier

 

Rebel Ridge is an engaging watch, filled with a cat-and-mouse dynamic between the lead, Terry, and police chief Sandy. Their constant clashes make it clear that de-escalation is off the table, ensuring the movie ends as it intends, anything but happy.

When my friend suggested this movie, he said it felt like Rambo, First Blood. To me, it’s more Jack Reacher than it is First Blood. The latter was gritty, with Rambo’s unhinged intensity driving him toward an inevitable end, blowing everything up. Rebel Ridge, on the other hand, has a more tamed and reasonable motive. Unlike Rambo who did not have any form of grounding, in this movie the Summer character provided Terry with the grounding he needed to avoid going completely off the rails.

That said, the movie isn’t without its flaws. There are moments where the make believe feels overdone, and logic takes a backseat. Yet, in an era of lackluster films like The Union or The Killer, it’s refreshing to watch something that keeps you engaged till the credits roll in and does not leave you with the urge to smash your screen.

The story kicks off with Terry riding into town on his bike, only to get run over by the cops. During their search, they find $36,000 on him, money he earned by selling his truck and business partnership. It was meant to bail out his cousin, but the police seized it with no intention of giving it back, which caused Terry a lot of problems.

You see, Terry’s cousin is a state witness who helped put a criminal behind bars. The problem is, he got busted on drug charges in this town, and Terry needs to bail him out before the cousin is sent to state prison. The reason being, if he gets sent to state prison, the chances are he will be killed because he is known for being the guy who ratted out a gangster. So, Terry is racing against time to get him bailed out. However, the town has its own corruption scheme, stealing from outsiders to fund the community and bribe the judge. Terry unwittingly becomes entangled in their racket, with little chance of recovering his money.

As expected, things spiral out of Terry’s control. With his cousin’s life on the line, he takes on the entire police department, determined to get justice his way or go down trying.

You can catch Rebel Ridge on Netflix. It’s flawed, but it’s a welcome distraction in today’s pool of uninspired releases.