By – Gareth Jones

For fans of Jeremy Saulnier, Aaron Pierre, Rambo action films with a strong message

Every once in a while you see a film with a new actor and instantly you know this person is going to be a huge star. I had that feeling when I watched Winter’s Bone with Jennifer Lawrence, and I had the same feeling the minute I finished Rebel Ridge and Aaron Pierre.  I had seen him in a few other works, most notably The Underground Railroad by Barry Jenkins, but in this film he is the lead and shows that he has the full range of skills and here he is able to showcase them all.  Aaron Pierre is a physical force in this film, fully believable as someone who can demolish a police force without breaking a sweat.  His American accent is flawless, and combined with his steely blue eyes, he brings a charisma and magnetism to the role that will make him an A-list megastar.  If you look at his IMDB you can see he is about to really explode with roles in Mufasa and Blade.

Rebel Ridge is directed, written, and edited by Jeremy Saulnier.  Saulnier has been building a true auteur collection of film.  I use that descriptive here because he does do so much work on the films he directs, but also he has continued to create a style and world of films that address social issues while still adhering and delivering expectations for the genres that he is working in. He did this magnificently with Blue Ruin and Green Room, both brutal examinations of violence in extreme cultures that overlap with the modern American landscape.  He has also directed a highly underrated folk horror film, Hold the Dark, which was the beginning of his relationship with Netflix. This is both good and bad. It is good that he gets funding to tell his stories, but I sure would like to see his films on the big screen with an audience.  This is especially true of Rebel Ridge.

Rebel Ridge in many ways is an updated version of Rambo: First Blood, but here Saulnier takes the premise of a war vet discarded by society, and shows how this intersects with race and politics.  The film tells the story of Terry Richmond, a former Marine, riding his bike to a small Southern town to bail out his cousin, who has been arrested for possession.  He has sold pretty much everything he owns, including his share in a Chinese restaurant.  He has the cash in his backpack, when he is knocked over by a police officer, and his cash is claimed by the police in the small town where his cousin is being held.  The story of a corrupt police force, and the town that supports them builds as Terry does everything he can to save his cousin.  Along the way, we see a fantastic action film and a lesson in social justice.

There are many fine performances in the film to complement Pierre’s.  Most notably is the villainous police chief Sandy Burne, played with full relish by Don Johnson.  I sometimes forget how good an actor Johnson is, and here he shows us how a villain can also have charisma and magnetism.  Terry Richmond is assisted by a office clerk in the town hall, played very effectively by AnnaSophia Robb, who has morphed into a fine adult actor after starring in Bridge to Terabithia and other teenage roles.  Finally, I want to highlight Emory Cohen’s performance as racist, corrupt police officer Steve Lann, miles away from his remarkable role in Brooklyn as the romantic lead.  He has beefed up and his body language is frighteningly accurate in this role.

Rebel Ridge is a fantastic update on the Rambo mythos combined with an even more potent social commentary.  It should launch Aaron Pierre into a series of roles as an action hero.  However, unlike many of those who have preceded him, he already has established that he has the acting chops to accompany the physical chops for the role.

Available to stream now on Netflix