In some ways, my love language is sharing my hobbies with others.
I have playlists upon playlists of songs I think my friends will enjoy; the texts between my dad and I are full of Spotify links we send when a song reminds us of each other; my daily calls with my grandparents involve an exchange of recent movies we’ve watched—which is exactly how I found one of my new favorites: Rebel Ridge.
The story follows former Marine Terry (Aaron Pierre) as he goes on a journey to deliver $36,000 of bail money to save his imprisoned cousin, Mike (C.J. LeBlanc). After a run-in with the Shelby Springs police force, which confiscates his cash, he befriends attorney intern, Summer (AnnaSophia Robb), as he enters a legal battle with Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). Along the way, Terry begins to realize the web of corruption that ropes the entire town together.
Before I even pressed play, I knew this would be a good movie simply because Don Johnson co-stars in it. His iconic filmography of unforgettable roles spanning over 50 years —most notably in Miami Vice and The Hot Spot—made me understand that even if the rest of the movie was awful, his talent in front of the screen would make it enjoyable either way. Thankfully, it wasn’t just Johnson I was fond of in this film.
Pierre has melded to the Hollywood norms pretty well, considering he had his breakout role just over three years ago. His portrayal of Terry proved his belonging in the industry. Throughout the movie, he emanates an I’m-always-two-steps-ahead-of-you-and-you’re-stupid-if-you-don’t-see-that kind of attitude, and it’s compelling to watch the other characters attempt to outsmart him. This whole premise reminded me of Kevin’s elaborate plans in Home Alone.
Other than the evident acting skills of the entire cast, the thing that stuck out to me the most was the fact that the whole film surrounded the prominent legal issue of civil asset forfeiture, defined as the procedure where law enforcement officers have the right to seize or sell property from people suspected to be involved in illegal activity without the arrest of the individual. Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier used the making of this film to bring attention to this absurd legal loophole that, as shown in the movie, has consequences for everyone involved.
However, my nonexistent knowledge of this topic made the climax of the plot a little confusing. I ended up having to look up a scene-by-scene explanation to get the complete picture and truly comprehend it, which made the watch difficult.
With that being said, I do find it admirable when the people behind a production use their profession as a creative outlet to emphasize societal and political affairs that normally aren’t well covered in the media. Saulnier’s deep research into the topic is projected into the brilliant outcome and success of this film.
Similar to The Departed or Serpico, which is mentioned near the end of the movie, it highlights the foundation of corrupted governmental systems that persist in the world today, giving the viewer an almost empathetic understanding of the people who are affected by it and the backlash they endure.
All in all, Rebel Ridge isn’t your typical low-budget, mediocre-script Netflix special. It’s an intelligent take on a genuine complication in today’s society that deserves to be rated highly among other iconic cop films.
