Is Netflix’s Rebel Ridge Worth The Watch? Critics Say Aaron Pierre Is ‘Magnetic’ In New Action Thriller
By Heidi Venable,
2024-09-06
It’s been five years since work began on writer/director Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller Rebel Ridge . The movie is finally hitting the 2024 Netflix schedule after being delayed first by COVID and then by the abrupt exit of John Boyega as its star. Aaron Pierre now leads the film, which sees his character Terry Richmond working to uncover a conspiracy in a small town after the money he was going to use to post bail for his cousin is seized. Critics got to review the movie before it became available to stream with a Netflix subscription , so let’s take a look at what they’re saying.
Alongside Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson stars as Shelby Springs Police Chief Sandy Burnne, and AnnaSophia Robb plays Summer McBride, the court clerk who helps Terry with his mission. Rebel Ridge is drawing early praise from critics, including RogerEbert.com’s Brian Tallerico , who gives the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that it’s thrilling to see Jeremy Saulnier prove that escapist entertainment and serious subject matter can exist in the same movie. He also predicts this isn’t the last we’ll see of Pierre. In Tallerico’s words:
William Bibbiani of The Wrap echoes the above critic, lauding Rebel Ridge for being an “exhilarating” experience that doesn’t ask viewers to turn their brains off. After extracting tension from every crooked action from the small-town police force, the director delivers an “electrifying, pulse-pounding, complex climax that’s wholly, breathtakingly satisfying.” Bibbiani continues:
Daniel Joyaux of IndieWire gives the film a B+, joining several critics in comparing it to a modern-day First Blood . Aaron Pierre is explosively charismatic, Joyaux writes, with Jeremy Saulnier providing an overall entertaining thriller about police corruption. His review goes on to praise Pierre, saying:
Mark Kennedy of the AP calls Rebel Ridge “tight, taut and tension-filled,” saying once audiences get sucked into the story, they likely won’t be able to turn the movie off until finding out how Terry holds up against the corrupt Louisiana cops. Kennedy rates this “first-rate drama” 3.5 out of 4 stars and says:
A.A. Dowd of IGN rates the movie a “Great” 8 out of 10, calling this Netflix thriller smart and tense with an enormously satisfying finale. Dowd writes:
Other critics agree with those above, and Rebel Ridge is already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 93% (audiences agree, with the Popcornmeter currently standing at 84%). If you’re looking for the best movies to stream on Netflix this weekend, it sounds like this one might be a good option, as it was released September 6. You can also check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is coming up.
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