Underrated actor Aaron Pierre lands a killer lead role at last, and it’s one that plays to one of his greatest strengths — those piercing, intense eyes that burn through you. Pierre’s cobra-like onscreen presence is a good match for his role of Terry Richmond, a solid guy on his way to post bail for a cousin held in the small Southern town of Shelby Springs.  

The local cops greet him in the most unfriendly manner, nearly mowing him down on his bike and then badgering him about the bag of loot he has to pay his cousin’s bail. Indie filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier’s Southern fried thriller makes police corruption the real culprit here and that arrives in the slick form of police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). The dirty top cop targets not only Terry and his cousin but also a helpful court clerk (AnnaSophia Robb).  

Netflix’s track record for stand-alone features hasn’t been so great of late. Rebel Ridge ups the genre game for the streamer; it’s not only smart and thrilling but shot, written and directed well. And the acting is terrific, particularly by Pierre, who injects a steely intensity when it’s needed. 

Boluwatife Adesina
Website | + posts

Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.