A new one Netflix Action movie not only boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, but also manages to perfectly turn the revenge thriller genre. Of all the movie genres, revenge thrillers are perhaps the most satisfying to watch because, for starters, they offer a sense of catharsis to viewers by going through a character’s quest to seek justice after being ranked. At the same time, well-written, acclaimed revenge thrillers also provide some moral clarity by featuring characters who either stop midway through their revenge-filled journey or go a little too far before digging two graves.
It’s also hard not to feel a semblance of empowerment while watching underestimated or marginalized characters rise to the occasion to seek revenge by finally putting their foot down against injustice. For all these reasons, a new action movie on Netflix is ​​a compelling watch. However, aside from merely riffing on the well-worn tropes of the revenge thriller genre, this new film tries to etch its own identity by subverting traditional genre conventions in some intriguing ways.
The badass main character of Rebel Ridge is nothing like a typical vengeful lead
Terry Richmond avoids physical confrontation as long as he can
When it comes to Rebel Ridges narrative structure, it initially unfolds like a typical revenge thriller. Right after the film’s opening credits, a former Marine, Terry Richmond, is wronged by police officers. After the officers injure him by pushing his bicycle off the road, the officers seize the money he wants to use to bail his cousin out of prison.
… The possibility of violence looms over the film’s narrative from the beginning, where Terry’s retaliation is depicted as a matter of if and not when.
The way Terry carries himself despite being pressed by the officers in the film’s opening circle suggests that he is not a regular civilian. Because of this, the possibility of violence looms over the film’s narrative from the beginning, where Terry’s retaliation is depicted as a matter of if and not when.
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Key facts about Rebel Ridge |
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Directed & Written by |
Jeremy Saulnier |
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runtime |
2 hours 11 minutes |
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Rotten Tomatoes critics score |
95% |
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Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
73% |
However, unlike a typical vengeful lead, Terry is cerebral and calculating. He feels torn by his situation but never lets his feelings blind him. He realizes that one wrong move would only make things worse, so he carefully plans his next move instead of going on a killing spree. Even when he gives time, Rebel Ridge Build suspense around how and when Terry will take action against the police officer who wronged him. But every time Terry wants to set things right, The first marine surprisingly only applies the least amount of force Despite a time-bound mission.
Terry Richmond’s zero body count separates him from Rebel Ridge’s villains
While Terry holds back, the police relentlessly put a target on his back
In a typical revenge thriller, a character like Terry Richmond would only hold back to a certain extent before unleashing his true potential and showing what he is capable of. However, in the Jeremy Saulnier movie, Richmond always ensures that he resorts to non-lethal methods of retaliation. This serves the story perfectly in more ways than one. During a pivotal scene where Richmond finally confronts Police Chief Sandy Bourne, officers at the police station learn that Richmond was an instructor in the MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program).
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This little detail about his past establishes that Richmond can single-handedly take down multiple enemies without relying on lethal weapons. At the same time, Richmond’s non-lethal approach and zero body count throughout the film also set him apart from the amoral police officer. While they do not think twice before putting a target on his back in Rebel Ridges end arc, Terry Richmond (played by Aaron Pierre) maintains a strict moral code where he only acts in self-defense. And avoid killing any police officer even when they outnumber and corner him.
The aspects of Terry Richmond’s characterization establish that Jeremy Saulnier did not want Rebel Ridge To be a typical revenge thriller that depicts that all police officers deserve to die. He wanted it to be a conspiracy thriller about a man whose faith in the legal system ultimately encourages the morally good cops to stand up for what’s right. This is antithetical to the approach of most revenge thrillers.
Jeremy Saulnier’s movies always put new spins on familiar tropes
Blue Ruin and Green Space also defy genre conventions
Jeremy Saulnier Blue Ruins plot sells it as a typical revenge thriller. However, as the movie unfolds and its revenge-seeking protagonist gets closer to finding revenge for his parents’ murder, He realizes that they are equally responsible for their deaths as their killers. In most survival thrillers, the story usually lingers on violence, often leaving characters with little to no development. In Saulnier Green roomHowever, the characters never appear paper thin, although the film does not shy away from portraying extreme and disturbing scenes during its runtime.
Key background
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Jeremy Saulnier made his film directorial debut with Murder Party in 2007.
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Saulnier also directed two episodes of True Detective season 3.
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The director has not helmed any movie or TV projects since 2019 as he was busy working on Rebel Ridge.
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Rebel Ridge’s production took so long because it was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and later by John Boyega’s exit.
Saulnier’s work proves that he has mastered the art of taking simple concepts and familiar genre tropes and turning them into something deeply relatable and thought-provoking. Be Netflix action thriller, Rebel RidgeIt also achieves something similar by raising its story’s overarching tension without ever relying on violence. Hopefully, the director will continue to build on this approach in future projects and deliver more critical and commercial hits than Rebel Ridge.