'Rebel Ridge' movie review: Refreshingly real
Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge is arguably among this year’s bravest films, not just for its content, but for how, for the most part, it avoids the pleasures one might typically expect from this genre. We are in the Stallone-meets-Western zone, and with the protagonist (Aaron Pierre’s Terry Richmond) being an ex-Marine well-versed in combat, there is immense potential for a Rambo-like one-versus-many actioner. To his credit, however, Saulnier keeps Terry largely as the victim, and not the saviour. Terry might be way stronger and smarter than the people who are ill-treating him, but he is still a common man—a black man in a predominantly white village. Even the extras in a courthouse scene are white, showing the sheer claustrophobia someone in Terry’s shoes may experience. Terry’s outrage is, for the most part, simmering rather than explosive. He is patient and restrained, and it is almost enraging to watch his stand-off scenes with the corrupt police chief (Don Johnson), who keeps triggering him. Pierre delivers a well-realised performance that brings out the exasperation of getting stuck in a hopeless system.
Hopelessness is a constant undertone here, and injustice reverberates throughout the plot. It is not just Terry who is a victim of the legal system. AnnaSophia Robb’s Summer, a struggling court employee who takes pity on Terry, deals with her own systemic issues. Zsane Jhe plays a black police officer, and her character gets several great moments where she seems to sympathise with Terry, despite being on the other side of the proceedings. Jhe’s performance is perfectly measured.
The only gripe in this otherwise meticulous film is the half-baked handling of Terry’s relationship with his cousin. We barely get to know what these two mean to each other. This distances the audience from Terry’s plight. The idea may have been to create an overall cold atmosphere, but had there been a few scenes where we experienced the warmth of their bond, it may have helped make the narrative more impactful.
There is a constant sense of unease and worry about Terry getting into more trouble and David Gallego’s cinematography plays a big role in creating, and subsequently retaining, the well-built suspense; the camera often moves slowly to reveal the action dramatically.
Rebel Ridge feels refreshing at a time when films are becoming increasingly focussed on creating high points. Even the big action scenes are understated: Why linger on violence when there are greater horrors happening? The writing is clean and calculated. Apart from a few one-liners, the treatment is dead serious, and that is where the film shines the brightest.
Rebel Ridge
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Genre: Drama
Platform: Netflix
Language: English