Jeremy Saulnier’s long-awaited action movie is a nuanced political thriller

Netflix’s latest action thriller, Rebel RidgeUpdates the genre with skill and attention while harkening back to the classic movies that inspired it. It stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a one-man army On par with the likes of classic 1980s action stars. However, Terry has a much more compelling moral code that he follows, and the corruption he faces reflects the current cultural climate. Jeremy Saulnier serves as the writer, director, producer and editor, making it a labor of love for the filmmaker. Rebel Ridge Is consistently accurate in tone, theme, and pacing throughout.

The story follows Terry when he arrives in the small town of Shelby Springs with money for his cousin’s bail. After his money is essentially stolen by two members of the local police force who run him off the road, Terry follows the department’s corruption to the source and finds even more sinister forces at play. His cousin Mike gets some screen time, as his arrest is the catalyst that brings Terry to town. however, It is Summer, played by a tough AnnaSophia Robb, who convinces Terry to stay and use his considerable powers to bring justice back to Shelby Springs.

Rebel Ridge doesn’t show its hand too early, keeping stakes and suspense

Saulnier knows how to perfectly pace the story and keep the audience engaged

Saulnier lives up to his reputation for making incredibly tense movies Which hardly give us a moment to breathe. The first moments of the story throw us into the heat of the narrative conflict. Although Rebel Ridge has already been compared to Rambo And Richer Before its premiere, there is a more sophisticated version of the best action blockbusters with the style of an indie pet. We never learned much about Terry, but I had everything I needed to be firmly on his side and get excited to see him make the police chief pay.

Played by Don Johnson, Chief Sandy Bourne is undoubtedly evil, but he is not a caricature. Aspects of Rebel Ridge Are over the top, like Terry’s unmatched strength and skill, but they make sense in the story’s conflict. Although things escalate almost beyond belief by the film’s climax, every step feels purposeful And as a natural progression of the action. There are many fights and showdowns, however Rebel Ridge Spread them evenly over the script. The tension builds in quiet moments, and the dramatic turn when Terry and Summer finally begin to hold power is an incredibly satisfying moment.

While Robb does a decent job as Summer, she is a difficult character to capture, and her storyline is a weak part of the script. We learn more about Summer’s background than Terry’s, and while this adds to his mystique, The exposition of Summer’s character makes her a bit of a win story. However, this is one of the few places the movie flags. There are a few lines of corny dialogue and overuse of callbacks to military acronyms, but these are minor complaints when looking at the bigger picture Saulnier is painting.

Mike’s absence in the film and the lack of explanation about Terry and Mike’s past and relationship are purposeful. Mike is representative of the many people who have been forgotten Considered and treated as ancillary to a system that uses them for its gain. It’s a subtle but devastating part of the story, and the breadth of the conspiracy Terry uncovers only makes it more effective. Pierre has to carry the film quietly and confidently, and although he is a touch more believable in the action scenes than the emotional ones, he does an excellent job.

Rebel Ridge balances a political story with the classic tenets of the action genre

The message behind Rebel Ridge is obvious, but the action is just as important

Rebel Ridge is hardly apolitical, however Saulnier is wise not to have the characters overly prejudiced or self-righteous monologues. About the legacy of police brutality and corruption in the US it. Anyone who follows the news in America is aware of these problems and how deadly they are. Saulnier does not attempt to deal with the long and full history of the subject he has touched upon. He boils the conflict down to one small town and a few brief moments that easily represent how simple the complex problem really is.

It comes down to the decisions of individual people to remain complacent in corruption And their choice to play. While Terry is impressive and can probably physically stop a train in its tracks, he can’t do it all by himself. Schaulnier claims that everyone has a line inside that will eventually be crossed, and then people can be moved to do good. It’s hard to make a story about police corruption and brutality “enjoyable.” But while there’s tragedy and strife in Rebel RidgeIt is as exciting as any action movie that came before it.

Rebel Ridge Will be available to stream on Netflix September 6th.