This is a slow burner that never comes to boil.
Terry is a former marine that rides into the wrong town. After a run in with local law inforcement, it becomes clear that the establishment is corrupt and he and his cousin are victims of this. What will Terry do?
Rebel Ridge offers nothing new. Its a thriller with a little bit of action thrown in. The fact that it offers nothing you haven't seen before doesn't make it an unenjoyable film. One thing that stands out as being something different in comparison to the majority of comparable thriller/action flicks, is it's main character, Terry, played by Aaron Pierre. Terry is an imposing figure simply because of his size and stoic demeanor. However, he turns out to be a thoughtful and composed man of depth and dignity. This is evident from the first scene and it carries throughout the film. No cliche one liners, no ego driven macho chest puffing and no pretention. The most endearing element of the film, is Terry.
The supporting cast are exceptional as well. Don Johnson does a stellar job at making us hate his character of chief of police and AnnaSophia Robb also shines.
The premise isn't the strongest but it holds up. It's the repercussions of initial events and how the characters respond that carry us through. Some reviews have complained about the ending and I can see why... There are build ups throught that could have been followed up with explosive, action-typical outcomes but instead, just teeter on the edge of being explosive. The ending wraps things up nicely but doesn't satisfy the adrenaline rush you hope for.
A good film, worth a watch. Could have been more but still offers something engaging.
