“Rebel Ridge” is worth keeping your Netfix subscription for.
One of my favorite genres is "messed with the wrong person." For example, think about "Taken." These criminals kidnap Liam Nesson's daughter, but what the kidnappers don't know is that he has "a very particular set of skills," and they end up regretting their actions. Or even "John Wick." A criminal kills Wick's dog, not realizing that Wick is one of the most feared assassins in the world. I love watching corrupt people get what's coming to them.
While riding his bike to bail out, his cousin, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), is detained by police, and the bail money is seized. Terry finds himself involved in a small-town corruption scheme and has to find a way to escape.
Terry is a man who wants to bail out his cousin and get out of town, but these corrupt cops get in the way. In his confrontations with the police, he is at a disadvantage. They have the power, and he does everything short of begging to get his cousin back. When the cops, specifically Chief Burnne (Don Johnson), go back on that deal, he has no choice but to fight back. Pierre gives Terry a calm, calculating deminer that is unwavering in the face of extreme injustice. It's rare to see someone become a star, but Pierre does in this movie.
This is where the messed with the wrong guy element comes in. Terry is an ex-Marine, and while he did not see combat, he trained others in close-quarters combat. He is an expert in disarming and incapacitating enemies. There are not a ton of action sequences, but they are great. The cops are trying to kill Terry, but he is using hand-to-hand combat or other less-lethal means to fight back.
Seeing people in power abuse that power(as much in real life as in movies) fills me with rage. The cops can legally take any money they suspect of being involved in a crime, so I started this movie fully on Terry's side. It is always great to see the bad guys get their comeuppance (unlike most of the time in real life). Without a doubt, this will find its way onto my top ten list for the year.
"Rebel Ridge" is currently on Netflix.
9/10
Rated TV-MA
2hrs. 11min.
