With incredible (and uncomfortable at times) films like Blue Ruin and Green Room in his filmography, Jeremy Saulnier is a director who undoubtedly understands how to sustain white-knuckle, heart-pounding tension for the entire length of a feature film. And with six years between his latest action-thriller, Rebel Ridge, and his last film, the real-life anticipation for his latest release can only be compared to the exciting anxiety that he produces in his work.
Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as Terry, a former Marine who has cycled many, many miles to the small town of Shelby Springs, to post a $10,000 bail for his cousin who is awaiting trial for possession charges, and in imminent danger behind bars. On his ride into town, Terry is rammed off his bike by two local police officers (played by David Denham and Emory Cohen), who instead of assisting Terry and his wounds, arrest him and seize the bail cash.
As Terry uses the assistance of a court clerk, and recovering addict, Summer (AnnaSophia Robb), they uncover a wide and corrupt conspiracy within the town, all stemming back to the local police chief, Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), forcing Terry to utilise his military expertise to recover the money, and protect his freedom, before time runs out.
Writer and director Jeremy Saulnier wastes no time throwing the audience into the tension with Rebel Ridge by having the film begin almost immediately with the altercation between Terry and the two police officers. And for the first 30-or-so minutes of this film, the palpable energy of the tension between Terry and this corrupt police force is sustained with expert skill from Saulnier, likely to have those watching clench their fists and have beads of sweat drop from the brow as he forces you to stew in it all. There is a visceral quality to the way Saulnier can have real deadbeat characters get under the skin of the audience, and the protagonist for that matter.
The energy of the film’s atmosphere is only matched by a masculine, but calculated, performance from Aaron Pierre as Terry, who immense physicality and soul-piercing gaze combine incredibly well with his baritone voice (and some pretty entertaining and satisfying “gotcha” lines of dialogue, some almost clap-worthy at points). Terry’s unwavering drive to free his cousin is felt in Pierre’s performance, and as the story reveals more context behind the severity of the situation, watching Terry as a character try to keep the pot from boiling over is riveting. This also then leads to any moment of physical confrontation that Terry encounters incredibly satisfying, as the release of tension mixed with his combat skills leads to some fantastic action set pieces.
The layers of Terry as a character only work as well as the villain who pushes the buttons, and Don Johson, along with fellow standout Emory Cohen, are infuriatingly good as two corrupt policeman who will do anything to make sure the power that they hold over this small town is kept. All the while, AnnaSophia Robb brings compassion and heart to the core of the narrative as someone, like Terry, who has been bullied by a system that looks down on her for the demons of her past, ones that she is working hard to exonerate.
The opening 30 minutes of Rebel Ridge, and the pulse-pounding final climax, are pitch-perfect renditions of a classic action-thriller film, from the story to the performances, and the wonderfully stylised action. And while there are moments of the film between its bookends that are riveting story elements or character development, it can feel slightly overlong, with that dragged out pace occasionally bringing that tension that’s been built to a slight simmer. The slower pacing is never at the detriment of the story overall, but with such thrilling moments surrounding those scenes, it does stand out.
Rebel Ridge is a masculine and calculated thriller that starts with high tension during the gripping opening scene, and manages to hold it, for the most part, until it’s conclusion. The real standout of Saulnier’s film however is the star-making performance from Aaron Pierre, who’s physicality and persona are truly riveting to watch.
Rebel Ridge is streaming on Netflix from September 6.
