Last Updated on September 9, 2024 by
Rebel Ridge is a 2024 action Movie Directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The film stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, and AnnaSophia Robb, with a runtime of 2h 11m, and was released on September 06, 2024.
So, if you are a fan of thrillers, you should consider watching the movies directed by Jeremy Saulnier. He has been acclaimed for directing movies that possess great tension and unexpected moments. His first movie Murder Party was a horror flick and he did his second movies called Blue Ruin and Green Room these are not much about action but confrontational. The second of his movies is called Hold the Dark and it is an adaptation of the book by William Giraldi, it takes place in a rather depressive, wintry setting. All of Saulnier’s movies have one thing in common: It has elements of surprise and shocking incidents that are unexpected by both the characters and the viewers. Saulnier’s movies were different in tone and each of them depicts the effect of violence in a different manner. In his movies, the use of violence is not an extravagant act and still gives the audience an impression that the whole world has turned upside down. This is very good, especially since most of the films nowadays involve violence in one way or the other that people increasingly anticipate. But in the hands of Saulnier, it feels fresh and disturbing each time.
His latest movie, Rebel Ridge, which premiered on September 6 on Netflix, is no exception either. The movie is centered around former Marine Terry Richmond, portrayed by Aaron Pierre, who appeared in The Underground Railroad and Old by M. Night Shyamalan. Terry arrives in a small Southern town carrying a sack of money; he must free his cousin from jail. However, the occurrence of mishaps begins immediately. The local police who are almost entirely white, assault him, and take his money as they use a law that allows them to seize property they believe could be linked to drugs, known as civil asset forfeiture. This law permits the police to freeze cash and assets based on the likelihood that they are associated with a crime, even without credible evidence. What was supposed to be a comparatively easy ride helping his cousin soon turns into a tense affair involving the likes of the town’s police chief (Don Johnson), a secretive bureaucrat (AnnaSophia Robb), and a revered judge (James Cromwell ).
Saulnier has said that he wished to create simply an American action picture, but a deeper and artistic one. He was drawing from inspirations from movies such as The First Blood starring Sylvester Stallone but was not interested in addressing the raw topics such as race and white supremacy in the police force. Although the movie is located in the South, where race surely does come into the picture, Saulnier decides not to drive it home. He did not insert his ideas into the play, but used the best talent in his cast and proceeded with the plot. As for me, I think that themes of race and injustice are going to be revealed to the audience even if those issues are not clearly expressed in the script.
Saulnier was always willing to collaborate with Aaron Pierre concerning the work to be done. He appreciated the experience of Pierre, a black man, and gave him the freedom to disagree with any aspect of the script or scenes. Saulnier conveyed that when Pierre had some important message, then the other listened and modified it. This gave the set a good ambiance of everybody putting their best feet forward to make the movie as realistic as they could. Even though Saulnier does not openly claim that he had First Blood as a model for Rebel Ridge, it is clear that this was the case. This Indiana character who was fighting against the corrupt system in the small town was very similar to Rambo in the movie First Blood. However, it is important to note that Terry and Rambo are not similar at all.
Terry has demonstrated himself to be a highly intelligent person with strict features of discipline and excellent communication skills. He is not just a normal tough-guy action star; he is a man who attempts to do the right thing and make some sense of what is going on and it’s just all stacked up against him. Saulnier focused on the concept of the military veteran who has his first actual fight not in a different country but in his own land. Another hallmark of all the films by Saulnier is the victims of violence and the fact that they face experiences that are beyond their control. It is therefore essential to note that the military does put Terry through rigorous training to be a specialized cop, yet he finds himself entangled in a system that is corrupt and so complex. Seeing him struggle with the formalities of a small town court and getting irritated with the hurdles that come in his way when he is the authority figure gives the audience, the feeling of him being uncomfortable in his skin though the plot has established him as someone powerful.
As for concerns about race and police corruption, Saulnier said he dismissed what people might say in cyberspace. He supposes that if you think about it, you won’t be able to create a movie that has a positive impact because you will be too busy worrying about what people will say about it. However, he decided to make the film as realistic as possible, after he researched civil asset forfeiture and police conduct. So he wanted to develop characters with depth so that when the battles occur it seem believable and realistic. All in all, Rebel Ridge is a good example of amalgamating the strict genre of an American thriller with themes of justice and evil. It is truly a film that forces introspection onto both its characters and viewers, thus it is easily recommended to anyone who appreciates films that not only prompt reflection but also deliver a well-fledged and tense experience.
Rebel Ridge 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Rebel Ridge is rated TV-MA by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for language, smoking, and violence.
Violence & Gore: Rebel Ridge contains a large amount of violence, in the form of physical combat, most notably when Terry is battling the corrupt police officers. Some of the more graphic and unsettling moments include: In counter, multiple scenes depict hand combat, particularly between Terry and the police. These scenes are bloody and realistic, people are shown receiving severe beatings and worse. Guns are employed throughout the film. There is shooting in several scenes and blood splashes and shots depicting injuries on the characters. These sequences are quite violent and may be rather shocking, illustrating the potential outcome of violence. Interrogation scenes depict characters experiencing torture and other physical suffering. Such scenes can be rather disturbing to watch because of the violence they depict. Several characters die, sometimes brutally and at times quite unexpectedly, which makes the impact of the use of shock in the film high. Their demise is painted in vivid detail as they show signs of blood and apparent physical wounds. The beatings, terror, and brutality are quite unanticipated and raw hereby depicting the realities of corruption and social injustice in the small town setting hence making the scenes more shocking to the viewers.
Profanity: The vulgarity or profanity of the language used in Rebel Ridge is high and consistent. Characters swear Very often, and often they say words like “f***,” “s***,” and any other vulgar terms that are considered rude and wrong especially when Terry and the local authorities are fighting.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: There are some scenes where the character takes alcohol and perhaps other drugs too. These are not major subplots but can be witnessed in scenes involving the town’s corrupted police department and other repulsive scenes. Although the film does not focus on drugs, its premise is centered around a law that enables police officers to confiscate any money as well as other assets believed to be involved in drug related crimes. Indirectly, this theme connects to the drug trade and its infiltration into the ranks of law enforcement agencies.
Sex & Nudity: There are no distinct sexual context and nakedness scenes mentioned. It means that the concept of the film is concerned with violence and conflict between individuals.
Overall Content Summary: Rebel Ridge is surely classified as a thriller with references to quite graphic violence, corruption, and malicious acts that at times suddenly occur in the series. However, it is not overly sexualized about showing druggings and other use of other substances and can still be considered as too violent for those young people who are not fit for sexual content at moments or other uses.
