Jeremy Saulnier's highly anticipated action movie, Rebel Ridgeis now streaming on Netflix, and it's gaining a lot of attention. Although Saulnier started working on Rebel Ridge In 2019 itself, the production of the film was marred by some unexpected delays and issues. John Boyega was initially taken on board to star as the main character of the film. However, in 2020, the film's shooting had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the film's principal photography finally started in early 2021, another challenge emerged when John Boyega suddenly departed from the project. Later that year, Aaron Pierre was cast as John Boyega's replacement, which finally moved the production's flywheels in a positive direction. After being in production hell for almost five years, the Jeremy Saulnier movie has finally come to Netflix. It took some time for the film to see the light of day, but it is absolutely worth streaming for more reasons than one.
Rebel Ridge is now streaming on Netflix - what the movie is about
Rebel Ridge initially riffs on a familiar action trope
Like many action movies, Rebel Ridge introduces a former Marine, Terry Richmond (played by Aaron Pierre), as its main character. To bail his cousin out of prison, Terry arrives in a small town, Shelby Springs, believing that his cousin will be released before he is transferred to the state facility. However, moments after the main character enters the city on a bicycle, things take an ugly turn when two police officers ram his bike off the road and seize his bail money on the grounds of civil asset forfeiture.
Realizing that resistance would only escalate the issue, Terry maintains his composure and tries to understand why his money was taken. Although he knew he had to release his cousin soon, he peacefully tried to get his bail money back. However, the closer he gets to learning more about why the police officers seized his money, the more he realizes that a larger conspiracy is at play. This forces him to vent his anger on the local police force, who are unprepared for what he can bring to the table with his military tactical experience.
Even when it comes to violence, Rebel Ridge is fairly tame compared to other Jeremy Saulnier movies that take a no-holds-barred approach to portraying joyous, graphic scenes.
Rebel Ridges storyline makes it seem like an action-packed thriller, but the film barely features three major action sequences. Instead of using action as its primary narrative device, the Netflix action movie relies more on creating political intrigue and gradually increasing the tension of its crime drama. Even when it comes to violence, Rebel Ridge is fairly tame compared to other Jeremy Saulnier movies that take a no-holds-barred approach to portraying joyous, graphic scenes.
Rebel Ridge has been compared to great action movies and TV shows
It shares narrative parallels with Reacher & Rambo
Rebel Ridge was incredibly well received by viewers and critics and With an impressive score of 93% Rotten Tomatoes critics. Due to its small-town setting and portrayal of an overpowered protagonist, the film has also been compared to other highly acclaimed action movies and shows, such as Richer And Rambo. While many critics have also noted that Rebel Ridge Is significantly different from Jeremy Saulnier's previous movies, which were much edgier and graphic, they appreciated how the director breathed new life into familiar tropes of the action genre with his directorial vision.
Why Rebel Ridge is worth watching
Rebel Ridge delivers both compelling action and political drama
Although it makes sense that Rebel Ridge is compared with Rambo And RicherThe film differs from the two franchises in several ways. For example, instead of going from one action set piece to another, Rebel Ridge Raises its tension by highlighting how, despite being an overpowered character, Terry Richmond struggles to overcome systemic corruption. The film's depiction of Richmond's journey is more cerebral than action-fueledWhich makes it a distinct departure from the relatively more straightforward action-driven narratives of movies like Rambo.
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While going through Terry's struggles, Rebel Ridge Also offers Subtle but effective commentary on racial politics and the exploitable loopholes in the legal system. The underlying themes add a layer of realism to the film's drama, making it much more relatable. Even during his action sequences, Rebel Ridge Avoids being over-the-top, which adds more heft to his portrayal of some real-world issues. not to mention, Rebel Ridge They also emphasize Aaron Pierre's potential as a leader in an action film, which is among the many reasons why it is worth seeing.