User reviews

This is so closely related to the Stephen Lara case in Nevada back in 2021. He was a retired Marine, heading to California to start a new life with his daughters. They left him with nothing on the side of the road. No charges, no arrests. Only a "justifiable" reason to seize his money. So much so, there's exact dialogue in the movie that matches the police body cam footage, such as having receipts for bank transactions, saying it's not illegal to carry cash, how the money was going to be distributed, if he doesn't file a suit he might get his money back, etc. The real victim was robbed of $86k cash by Nevada Highway Patrol. Look it up on YouTube. There's a complete documentary on it.

Yes, this is along the lines of First Blood, but this is a step up. Aaron Pierre is very impressive as the calm hero and Don Johnson just seems to get better the older he gets. So who cares whether the story is original or not when it is one of the most realistic representations of the genre you will ever see. The fights are messy, the violence is limited, but that just makes it all the more real. When there is so little quality being produced either by streaming platforms, TV companies or the big Hollywood studios since COVID it is refreshing to see they can still produce the goods. So enjoy the ride.

Starts strong, likeable main character and a good villain.

The plot is a bit convoluted and you could cut out 30 minutes without losing anything important.

The biggest downside for me is the ending, it seems like they did not know how to end it and just throw in some stuff to wrap it up during the supposed climax. It lacks the impact that it needed to deliver satisfaction for the viewer. I can't explain more without spoiling it but it's underwhelming.

On a positive note the main character is likeable, if a bit one note, and the main villain does a god job of making you hate him.

The action scenes are okay, nothing amazing but watchable.

To summarise, I would not recommend this over many others that came before and did it better, but if you have 2 hours to kill and have watched the many other films with the same premise and want to watch another one, give it a go, it's on the bottom of the genre but it's passable.

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.

The trailer for this makes the film seem like it's going to be an all out action film from start to finish. Instead what you get is a thriller with a little bit of action thrown in. What starts with a man trying to post bail for his cousin, turns into a discovery of corruption in a small town. At no point did it seem like a two hour film, which is testament to how well the pace was kept, slowly revealing more and more details of what's been going on in the town. It would have also been very easy for the writers to just say the lead was ex-special forces, delta force etc. But they change this up from the norm to make it feel slightly different.

Is this something we've never seen before? No. Are there better action/thrillers out there? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's not worth spending two hours of your time watching it. A solid film.

Let me start with saying the film is good. It is well acted, well written, and decently paced. There's an argument to be made that the film could have been a handful of minutes shorter but without careful consideration and time I'm unwilling to give I'm unsure what would be cut.

My only gripe, because im a film sadist, is I wanted a bit more carnage. The film attempts to emulate others (like our beloved wick films or reacher), but it fails to reach the same level of hollywood violence we've come to expect from the genre.

Many may argue this is a good thing but it didn't tickle the part of my brain that I wanted it to. Terry, our protagonist is wronged so repeatedly during the course of this film that it would have made the Pope himself command genocide on the masses, yet we're made to believe that Terry is so honorable he couldn't be bothered to hurt another soul.

My only gripe with what was otherwise a great film.

Godspeed.

I saw this by chance on Netflix and I was pleasantly surprised. The main character is calm, keeps his head down and only retaliate when it is required. Even though he is mistreated by the law enforcement of a particular small town, he always looks for way to "de-escalate" the situation. There's not much violence or action you might expect, but the story build up very nice. You can feel the suffocation when the system has it out for you. The laws drafted to protect the civilians might be used to push them into a corner. That helplessness weighs you down more than you think.

This is a very decent movie and I would recommend to all.

Smart, takes itself seriously with the genre and you just feel connected with the lead and the tension and score are also so perfect in this film is a little long but it makes up for it in most part,but i see a star in the making aaron pierce delivers in ways i cant see no other actor bringing intensity,smart,resourceful i can see being a great competition to Glen Powell in the coming years. The choreography and cinematography simple but effective with a purpose. 8/10. Go watch it this is clearly one of netflix best films in a long time truly hope they comtinue to put some more movies like this .

Average First Blood type film though nowhere near as violent. A black ex-marine innocently gets in a world of trouble in good ol' boy country and has to fight his way out and get some revenge on the side. But this is not really a revenge film. It's a fight for justice film with a strong lead performance by the charismatic Aaron Pierre. I would think he has a big future, but hopefully in better films than this and the lamentably bad Foe (read the book instead!). Nearly all the cops, led by a convincingly vile Don Johnson, in this small town are corrupt and the only assistance this poor guy gets is from the only two women who are seen in this film. Make of that what you will, but this is minor league stuff with some decent car chases, which is good as it seems half the movie takes place in various vehicles. The plot is a bit convoluted, but I've seen much worse and so have you.

There's a lot more good than bad to this film. Yes its a well trodden path, but what isn't these days. This looks on paper as a capitalisation of the popularity of the Reacher series as a low budget movie with zero hints of John Rambo.

I hate the modern trope of rebooting licences with socially agreeable casting. And this doesn't honestly play like that. Aaron Pierre, i've not heard of prior, but he's done a good job of the given script. He'll do well from this i hope. Don, bless him, loves these roles. Brawl in cell block 99 was a bloody hoot. But we all want to see another Nash Bridges or age appropriate Miami Vice!!

Verdict. Watch it. If you do, they'll make more of the same. There's no budget for CGI, no superheroes, but the entire cast play out this hardcore version of saturday night 80s tv really well. Time not wasted.

The movie featured a good plot and strong acting, but it could have been shortened without affecting the storyline as someone mentioned in their review. I enjoyed it, but felt that the corruption could have been explained more thoroughly towards the end. I was hoping to see the legal aftermath of the characters' actions, but the movie ended rather abruptly without delving into that aspect. Also thought we'd learn more about the main characters background in the Marines, including the connection to the Chinese restaurant. What was it a front for and what was his connection to it? What was the owners connection to the marines sticker if he fought for the Koreans?

I should preface my opening statement by stating that it's clear Director Jeremy Saulnier is opting for more of an 80's action style, however this ultimately plays out in a formula we have seen many times before in the genre.

The movie centres on corruption within the police force and certainly is more intelligent than your usual Rambo or Jack Reacher film, still, the stakes are never really raised and I found myself questioning whether the two-hour runtime was necessary as we move from one car chase to the next.

Aaron Pierre plays main character ex-Marine Terry Richmond well, even if Terry himself is a relatively one-dimensional protagonist. It's also nice to see Don Johnson put in an entertaining performance as corrupt Police Chief Sandy Burnne, whilst the rest of the cast do not disgrace themselves.

Ultimately, this film will be one which people stumble onto in the future on Netflix and will most likely enjoy, but I doubt will go back to. A worthwhile watch - but do not be surprised if you get into the second half of the movie wondering when it is going to wrap up.

This is a flick that will live on Netflix as I think many either missed it in the theaters...or, perhaps, it was simultaneously theatrically released...or, possibly never released in theaters? Who knows these days? Netflix will be the home for this one and that is a good thing.

It's a good thing as you shouldn't miss it, especially when we know many of us do not find nearly enough new programming of interest on the various streaming services. This one, I'm certain, is worthy of a sizable audience.

Rebel Ridge seems at first as if it is another take on police brutality and racism, but, in fact, it is far from that. It is about a small, in this case a fictitious small backwater Louisiana parish, as a cash cow taking advantage of the vulnerable. Not hard at all when the police love bending the law. Bending the law to the point it bumps up against illegal procedures and more. When the "good old" boy Sheriff's deputies perform their schtick on the wrong "victim", well...it's game on.

Think Rambo, all around leaner and more believable. Pretty much: injustice served, more injustice piled on, time to teach the "good old boys" a lesson. Simple, but the acing of Aaron Pierre as the victimized Terry Richmond anchors the film. No bombast and a very measured approach to actions needed to obtain the upper-hand. I'd say Pierre is excellent, truly pulling the viewer in because you soon care for his plight. We also have a well preserved Don Johnson. Oh, he's aged, but with some aging that suits the character he plays here. Johnson approaches the Chief Burnne character with his well-worn cock-sureness...he just traded in the no sock with suit look for a cheap polo shirt and blue jeans which is just right for creating a shifty small town cop. To give the proceedings a proper angle of inflection enter the character of Summer McBride. Victimized Pierre meets her, and kind of being mutually damaged they sense a need to cooperate. McBride can supply inside information to which the corruption leading up to the murder of Richmond's cousin. Richmond would seem to be outnumbered, plus he will be putting McBride in danger just by their loose association. Our young single mother has lost her child and she's equally sick of the town's shenanigans. Pierre and Robb, as Terry Richmond and Summer McBride, work perfectly in their roles and chemistry. I think most all viewers will be rooting for these two to somehow leverage what they've discovered and, as a famous actor and President was known to say: "drain the swamp". This movie is a stand-up 7.

While it's narrative and structure is familiar regarding the action and thriller genre, Jeremy Saulnier is able to take good advantage of it's simplicity by providing strong direction, character engagement, dialogue, and performances from the entire cast members.

It's writing, as mentioned, is standard but what Saulnier is able to accomplish was that his direction on capturing the tone, atmosphere, and characters felt realistic as it's uses of tension, violence, and conversations feel genuine as if this is who things would really turn out. With interesting characters and good camerawork, Aaron Pierre and Don Johnson provided great performances and provided with great dialogue and engagement. Despite some pacing being a bit over-long and certain aspects being a bit messy, I appreciate it's different approach to the action genre and liked the direction it took.

Having seen Blue Ruin since, I have been keeping up with Jeremy Saulnier and it's a shame that this movie was released digitally because it deserves to have a wider theatrical release.

Inevitably the story goes off the rails because there was nowhere else for it to go. Nevertheless it's a very gripping and well-written film. The protagonist is super cool and a refreshing take on the hyper-competent action hero. The bad guys are genuinely infuriating. The director/writer somehow manage to navigate the common trope of the white traffic cop ill treating an innocent black driver in a way that feels original, credible, and not overtly political.

I realised when it had finished that I barely glanced at my phone the whole film, which is not easily done in the age of second-screening.

Ok, you could accuse this movie of ripping off Rambo, but they have done a great job, you have to give them that. From the opening scene to the end, this is a thrilling ride that will not disappoint action fans.

The first fifteen minutes will leave you seething with anger as corrupt small-town cops somewhere in Alabama rob a veteran off his life savings. As he tries to recover his money, he, with the help of a yet-to-be lawyer begins to uncover the rot in the town.

Rebel Ridge makes you care about its characters and the audience will root for its leads as they overcome one obstacle after another in their quest for justice.

It deserves a ten-star rating.

I think the first 5 mins set the standard and flaws that kept it from being a great show. Peddling into town with headphones on to the point he can't hear any cars behind him or even police sirens, and with a bag full of cash! At this point I more focused on "who does that?".

The rest is a predictable story and doesn't add anything new, if anything others of this genre have done it way better and at a quicker pace. Pretty slow build to what you are hoping is a "certain set of skills" that turn out to be an OK set of skills. The passive approach he takes to attempting to handle it only Lessen its believability in using non-lethal approaches.

It's mildly keeps your interest but leaves you with the expected, but anti climatic ending.... Of "Meh".

Overall a pretty solid movie, while not being particularly memorable or standing out in any way. It feels mostly like a season of Reacher or an old Schwarzenegger movie, but more subdued. The acting is solid, the movie is paced well and there is nothing to insult you about the movie, the way so many movies are these days. They make everything look and feel pretty realistic with decent motivations and characters that have some depth, although they're ultimately pretty one dimensional.

The plot plays out like you'd expect, but the movie is well enough made, that you're still engaged throughout.

What drags is down is how generic and forgettable it feels in the end. It's not something I ever see myself rewatching or recommending to someone, even though I think people interested in action thrillers won't be disappointed.