REBEL RIDGE
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Emory Cohen, Zhané Jhé, and David Denman
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
AMARÚ
Rebel Ridge’s first act is a pressure cooker of slowly ramping tension, building great atmosphere on strong character work and the all-around badassery that is Aaron Pierre. He oozes cool with his striking eyes, calm demeanor, and powerful delivery. Combined with a compelling supporting cast, his performance drives the film forward as the second act’s pace surprisingly lets off the gas without ever truly regaining its initial momentum. However, once you readjust to the new tenor, the intensity doesn’t dissipate, it just flows in a new direction. A direction that, while about 20 minutes too long, doesn’t fail to capture your full attention.
KATIE
Rebel Ridge is a solidly entertaining and stylish action thriller featuring an engaging central performance from Aaron Pierre as protagonist Terry Richmond. The film immediately establishes a sense of tension that sticks with you throughout, and the suspense heightens as Terry dives deeper into the corruption that infects the small town. The action is sporadic but compelling, though I would have liked to see more, especially since a shorter run time would have enhanced the excitement, even if the general pacing is good overall.
NICK
A pandemic, multiple strikes, and the loss of its lead actor all contributed to Rebel Ridge's five-year journey to completion. Despite the odds, however, it may have worked out for the best. John Boyega (the original lead) is a fine actor, but Aaron Pierre deserves more chances to shine. Thankfully, this role gives him a chance to do so. Pierre takes full advantage of the opportunity, and his screen presence is the ideal match for director Jeremy Saulnier's authentic and deliberate storytelling style. Together, they create great tension in this (admittedly overlong) deep-seated story about corruption. Rebel Ridge is another sneaky good Netflix Original.
PRESTON
Rebel Ridge starts out so good! It’s a Walking Tall-style film that swaps out a Green Beret for a Marine Corps combatives instructor, played by a kick-ass lead in Aaron Pierre. The problems begin to creep in when the former Marine starts using a military communications acronym (P.A.C.E.) to describe his actions before proceeding to bombard us with more military lingo. Also, the level of fear this police force has for a recently discharged E-4 is just comical. That is all forgivable, though, whereas the extended runtime is less so. Overall, a good movie that is very close to being great.
QUENTIN
Though the storyline makes logical sense from beginning to end, Rebel Ridge plays like two different movies. Both are good, but as a single film, it’s a little disjointed due to a tension shift about halfway through. That subtle change contributes to a movie that is less compelling in the back end (being a bit too long doesn’t help, either). That said, Aaron Pierre is terrific as a stoic badass, and as reductive as it sounds, both his character and the basic plot, particularly in the first hour, feel like Black Reacher. Ultimately, that means I’d watch a franchise of Terry Richmond (Pierre) movies.
