Rebel Ridge

{{Infobox film

| image = Rebel Ridge film poster.jpg

| caption = Release poster

| director = Jeremy Saulnier

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Anish Savjani
Neil Kopp
Vincent Savino
Jeremy Saulnier

}}

| writer = Jeremy Saulnier

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = {{Plainlist|

Brooke Blair
Will Blair

}}

| cinematography = David Gallego

| editing = Jeremy Saulnier

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Filmscience
Bonneville Pictures

}}

| distributor = Netflix

| released = {{Film date|2024|9|6}}

| runtime = 131 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Rebel Ridge is a 2024 American action thriller film{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/rebel-ridge-netflix-death/|title=Netflix's 'Rebel Ridge' Stands Out From Other Action Movies in One Major Way|website=Collider|access-date=13 September 2024|quote=The stakes could not be higher, but Terry’s determination not to kill anyone makes Rebel Ridge a more inventive action thriller.}} written, produced, directed and edited by Jeremy Saulnier. The film stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine, who has the funds needed to post bail for his cousin unjustly seized via civil forfeiture by a small town's corrupt police force. Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, and James Cromwell also appear in the film.

Rebel Ridge was released by Netflix on September 6, 2024 to positive critical reviews. It won Best Movie Made for Television at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards.

Plot

Terry Richmond, a Marine veteran, cycles into Shelby Springs, Louisiana to post bail for his cousin Mike Simmons and buy a pickup truck to use in their work. He is rammed by police officers Evan Marston and Steve Lann, who seize his {{gaps|$36,000}} in cash via civil forfeiture.

When courthouse clerk Elliot refuses to help, fellow employee Summer McBride promises to prepare the paperwork in case Terry can pay Mike's {{gaps|$10,000}} bail before his Thursday transfer to state prison, where he would be in danger for informing on a gangster. Terry calls his former business partner Liu, who agrees to provide the money.

At the police station, Terry tries to report the cash as stolen to Officer Jessica Sims, and is confronted by Lann and police chief Sandy Burnne. Terry offers to drop the matter if they give him back {{gaps|$10,000}} and Burnne agrees to resolve the issue on Monday. Meanwhile, Summer discovers dozens of cases with misdemeanor defendants like Mike being held in jail for exactly 90 days.

On Monday, Terry arrives at the station but Burnne has arranged for the prison bus to leave early. He catches up on his bike and tells Mike to stay safe until he posts bail. Liu can no longer send money after police raided his restaurant at Burnne's request, and Terry returns to the station and is taunted by Burnne. A close quarters combat expert, he subdues Lann and Burnne, and forces Sims to hand over the bail money and help him escape. Posting bail with Summer's help, Terry is captured at the courthouse.

Terry is taken to a hospital by Marston and Burnne, who explains that Mike was stabbed after arriving at prison, and offers the remaining {{gaps|$26,000}}, the truck he was going to buy, and to not pursue charges if he leaves town. Terry accepts, but Mike has died. Summer drives Terry to pick up the truck, and he declines to help her investigate the suspicious cases.

That night, Summer is injected with drugs by police and calls Terry, who returns to help. At work, she is forced to take a urine test, jeopardizing her child custody. As Terry leaves town, Lann flags him down, throws a gun into his truck as a pretense to open fire, and wounds him in the shoulder. Terry escapes and regroups with Summer at Liu's restaurant, where Liu, a Chinese medic during the Korean War, patches him up.

Summer and Terry interrogate Elliot and the town's judge, who reveal a coverup to avoid transparency measures imposed after a legal settlement nearly bankrupted the town. People are held on misdemeanors without access to public defenders to seek production of their police dashcam arrest footage, which expires after 90 days. Terry and Summer break into the courthouse basement and retrieve the dashcam SD cards as police arrive and start a fire. He escapes, but she is captured trying to destroy her urine sample.

Terry and Lann arrange a swap: Summer for the cards at sunrise. While Lann and a police contingent wait at Rebel Ridge, Terry breaks into the police station using the truck and subdues Burnne. Terry recruits Sims, who he believes is Summer's informant in the police department codenamed Serpico, to assist him but she instead detains him as the cops return. Lann destroys the cards and reveals that he has injected Summer with drugs and she is at risk of overdosing. Marston protests, revealing himself to be 'Serpico' instead, and is shot in the femoral by Burnne, but Terry defeats the officers who approach him, including Lann.

Marston tells Terry to activate a police cruiser siren, saving the previous three minutes of dashcam footage, and walks Terry through administering Narcan on Summer. The three flee in the cruiser with police in pursuit. Ordered to perform a PIT maneuver, Sims takes out Burnne's vehicle instead and detains him. The remaining cops escort them to the hospital and report that state police are incoming. Marston and Summer are admitted, while Terry sits and waits with the incriminating dashcam footage.

Cast

Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond
Don Johnson as Chief Sandy Burnne
AnnaSophia Robb as Summer McBride
David Denman as Officer Evan Marston
Emory Cohen as Officer Steve Lann
Steve Zissis as Elliot
Zsané Jhé as Officer Jessica Sims
Dana Lee as Mr. Liu
James Cromwell as Judge
CJ LeBlanc as Mike Simmons

Production

In November 2019, John Boyega came on board to star in the film, written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier.{{Cite news|first=Justin|last=Kroll|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/john-boyega-netflix-rebel-ridge-1203397091/|title=John Boyega to Star in Netflix Thriller From Green Room Director (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=February 25, 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813085704/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/john-boyega-netflix-rebel-ridge-1203397091/|url-status=live}} In February 2020, Don Johnson, Erin Doherty, James Badge Dale, Zsané Jhé, and James Cromwell were added to the cast.{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/don-johnson-james-cromwell-john-boyega-rebel-ridge-netflix-1202868126/|title=Don Johnson & More Join John Boyega In Rebel Ridge|website=Deadline Hollywood|first1=Amanda|last1=N'Duka|date=February 25, 2020|access-date=February 25, 2020|archive-date=July 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727165004/https://deadline.com/2020/02/don-johnson-james-cromwell-john-boyega-rebel-ridge-netflix-1202868126/|url-status=live}} In April 2021, AnnaSophia Robb and Emory Cohen joined, with Robb replacing Doherty.{{cite news|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/annasophia-robb-emory-cohen-rebel-ridge-netflix-1234739626/|title=AnnaSophia Robb & Emory Cohen Set For Netflix Thriller Rebel Ridge|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=April 19, 2021|access-date=April 19, 2021|archive-date=April 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419205304/https://deadline.com/2021/04/annasophia-robb-emory-cohen-rebel-ridge-netflix-1234739626/|url-status=live}}

Filming was slated to begin in April 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/rebel-ridge-87145/|title=Rebel Ridge|work=Backstage|access-date=February 25, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728230151/https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/rebel-ridge-87145/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/every-netflix-production-stalled-because-of-coronavirus-04-22/|title=Every Netflix Production Halted Due to Coronavirus|date=April 22, 2020|website=What's on Netflix|access-date=July 28, 2020|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819102258/https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/every-netflix-production-stalled-because-of-coronavirus-04-22/|url-status=live}} Principal photography eventually began in Louisiana on May 3, 2021.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/COasM6kHcPR/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/annasophiarobb/2565557339304084433_2565557335654936939 |archive-date=2021-12-25 |url-access=registration|title=DAY 1 of #RebelRidge!|date=May 3, 2021|first=AnnaSophia|last=Robb|author-link=AnnaSophia Robb|via=Instagram|access-date=May 4, 2021}}{{cbignore}} In June 2021, Boyega left the project during filming due to "family reasons". Filming paused as a result in order to find a replacement for Boyega.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/john-boyega-netflix-movie-rebel-ridge-leaves-family-reasons-1234768741/|title=John Boyega Exits Netflix Movie Rebel Ridge Mid-Shoot, Family Reasons Cited|date=June 3, 2021|first=Andreas|last=Wiseman|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=June 3, 2021}} It was later reported that Boyega had allegedly abandoned the project due to a variety of reasons, including his dissatisfaction with the script and his accommodations, although Boyega denied such allegations.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/john-boyega-denies-left-netflix-project-without-telling-anyone-1234646517/|title=John Boyega's Abrupt Netflix Movie Exit: Agent Denies Report He Left Without Telling Anyone|date=June 23, 2021|first=Zack|last=Sharf|website=IndieWire|access-date=August 11, 2024|archive-date=August 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811153410/https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/john-boyega-denies-left-netflix-project-without-telling-anyone-1234646517/|url-status=live}} In October, Aaron Pierre replaced Boyega.{{Cite web |last=West |first=Amy |date=October 19, 2021 |title=John Boyega replaced by Krypton star in new Netflix movie |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38000996/john-boyega-netflix-movie-aaron-pierre-rebel-ridge/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210182656/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38000996/john-boyega-netflix-movie-aaron-pierre-rebel-ridge/ |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |access-date=October 19, 2021 |website=Digital Spy}} In April 2022, David Denman was added to the cast to replace Badge Dale, before production restarted on April 25.{{cite news|first1=Borys|last1=Kit|first2=Kim|last2=Masters|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-boyega-rebel-ridge-exit-netflix-1234972648/|title=Behind John Boyega's Abrupt Exit From Netflix's Rebel Ridge|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 23, 2021|access-date=June 23, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807180710/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-boyega-rebel-ridge-exit-netflix-1234972648/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=2022-04-11 |title=Netflix's Rebel Ridge Due To Get Back Underway This Month After Long Hiatus; 'Mare Of Easttown' Actor Joins |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/netflix-rebel-ridge-john-boyega-david-denman-1234999818/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=June 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621184137/https://deadline.com/2022/04/netflix-rebel-ridge-john-boyega-david-denman-1234999818/ |url-status=live }} Production wrapped on July 24.{{cite tweet |number=1551322591868162048 |user=saulnier_jeremy |title=Wrap on REBEL RIDGE. Third time was indeed a charm. Eternal thanks to the cast and crew for their collective art and cinematic fortitude. Now, a donut and a nap. |first=Jeremy |last=Saulnier |author-link=Jeremy Saulnier |date=24 July 2022}} In March 2024, Saulnier said the film was in the final stages of post-production.{{cite web|url=https://filmstories.co.uk/news/rebel-ridge-jeremy-saulnier-on-the-tumultuous-production-on-his-netflix-thriller-about-a-militarised-police-force-exclusive/|title=Rebel Ridge {{!}} Jeremy Saulnier on the 'tumultuous' production on his Netflix thriller about 'a militarised police force' (exclusive)|date=March 6, 2024|first=Ryan|last=Lambie|website=Film Stories|access-date=March 6, 2024|archive-date=June 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604200250/https://filmstories.co.uk/news/rebel-ridge-jeremy-saulnier-on-the-tumultuous-production-on-his-netflix-thriller-about-a-militarised-police-force-exclusive/|url-status=live}}

Release

Rebel Ridge was released on Netflix on September 6, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=July 24, 2024 |title=Aaron Pierre Thriller Rebel Ridge From Blue Ruin{{'}}s Jeremy Saulnier Unveils Netflix Premiere Date, First-Look Photos |url=https://deadline.com/gallery/aaron-pierre-thriller-rebel-ridge-from-blue-ruins-jeremy-saulnier-unveils-netflix-premiere-date-first-look-photos/ |access-date=July 24, 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724160209/https://deadline.com/gallery/aaron-pierre-thriller-rebel-ridge-from-blue-ruins-jeremy-saulnier-unveils-netflix-premiere-date-first-look-photos/ |url-status=live }} The film amassed 31.2 million views in its first three days (September 6–9) and 38.6 million more the next week (September 9–15).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/rebel-ridge-the-perfect-couple-netflix-premiere-viewership-1236083718/|title=Rebel Ridge;; Puts Up Strong Debut Weekend On Netflix As The Deliverance Gains Traction; The Perfect Couple Thrills In TV|date=September 10, 2024|first=Katie|last=Campione|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=September 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/rebel-ridge-the-perfect-couple-emily-in-paris-season-4-netflix-viewership-1236092060/|title=Rebel Ridge Continues Netflix Reign As The Perfect Couple Tops TV; Emily In Paris Season 4B & Uglies'' Debut In Second Place|date=September 17, 2024|first=Katie|last=Campione|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=September 17, 2024}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|96|7.9|120|An intelligent and gripping vehicle for Aaron Pierre's star-making performance, Rebel Ridge lays down the law on its action-thriller contemporaries.|ref=yes|access-date=January 24, 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|76|30|ref=yes|access-date=November 11, 2024}}

= Accolades =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col"\| Award !scope="col"\| Date of ceremony !scope="col"\| Category !scope="col"\| Nominee(s) !scope="col"\| Result !scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Refh}}
Critics Choice Awards \| February 7, 2025 \| Best Movie Made for Television \| Rebel Ridge \| {{won}} \| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" \|{{Cite web \|title='Shogun' Leads Critics Choice TV Nominations \|url=https://www.thewrap.com/shogun-leads-critics-choice-tv-nominations/ \|last=Pond \|first=Steve \|date=2024-12-05 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205173204/https://www.thewrap.com/shogun-leads-critics-choice-tv-nominations/ \|archive-date=2024-12-05 \|website=TheWrap}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col"| Award

!scope="col"| Date of ceremony

!scope="col"| Category

!scope="col"| Nominee(s)

!scope="col"| Result

!scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Refh}}

Critics Choice Awards

| February 7, 2025

| Best Movie Made for Television

| Rebel Ridge

| {{won}}

| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" |{{Cite web |title='Shogun' Leads Critics Choice TV Nominations |url=https://www.thewrap.com/shogun-leads-critics-choice-tv-nominations/ |last=Pond |first=Steve |date=2024-12-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205173204/https://www.thewrap.com/shogun-leads-critics-choice-tv-nominations/ |archive-date=2024-12-05 |website=TheWrap}}