In theory, if not always in practice, my favorite cinematic genre is “corrupt cops.” It’s a running joke in my house that I suggest something to watch and my wife is like “what’s it about?” and I always say “it’s about a homicide detective who works as a hitman for a drug cartel” or whatever1. I like charismatic characters who are simultaneously seductive and repellent and stories that ratchet up the tension in every scene, making things worse and worse until you feel like you’re going to pass out. And I like the theme of institutional failure, because that’s the story of our time. Bad actors are allowed to flourish because the whole marketized system is broken. The man who abuses his power is successful, until he inevitably goes too far and faces consequences. Corrupt cop thrillers are a great way to understand America.
So I really enjoyed Rebel Ridge, obviously. It’s a worthy entry to the Dad Movie canon.2
Rebel Ridge is about a Marine veteran named Terry played by Aaron Pierre who, while on his way to bail his cousin out of jail in a small Southern town, gets hassled by cops who take his money. They’re abusing civil asset forfeiture laws, so even though what they’re doing is wrong, there’s not much Terry can do about it legally. So he decides to use other means to get justice. It turns out Terry’s job in the Marines was being a martial arts instructor, which is pretty silly, but is also pretty cool. He doesn’t kill anybody, he just puts them in jiu jitsu holds until they give him what he wants.
This movie first went into production in 2021 with John Boyega starring, but was halted for a year after Boyega left. That must have sucked at the time, but it definitely worked out for the best, because it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Aaron Pierre in this role. Rebel Ridge proves the Underground Railroad actor is a star. He’s athletic and physically imposing. He’s convincing when he executes these martial arts moves. You never feel like he’s giving anything less than 110% intensity. In an interview with Vulture’s Roxana Hadadi, writer-director-producer Jeremy Saulnier said Clint Eastwood Westerns were a big influence on Rebel Ridge, and Pierre gives a majorly Eastwood-esque performance. He’s smart, he’s strong, he’s a man of few words — but when he does speak, you lean in to hear what he has to say.
I also wonder if the delay changed the way the political content of the movie was presented. Rebel Ridge straddles eras of political art in an interesting way. It began in the Black Lives Matter vs. Trump era, and I wonder if the movie had come out in 2021 or 2022 with John Boyega, the racial dynamic of a Black man being treated unjustly by predominantly white police would have been emphasized. But in less woke 2024, race is not mentioned in the dialogue, leaving it up to the audience to make that connection if they want to. It’s in there, but it’s not the main thing the movie is mad about. That would be abuse of civil asset forfeiture by police departments, which everyone can agree is fucked up no matter what team they root for. Rebel Ridge managed to stay political in a year when entertainment is shying away from politics by being very focused and measured about the point it’s making.
I’m a big fan of Jeremy Saulnier, dude. I think he’s the real deal. Green Room fucking rips. Saulnier is great at tautness and tension. Rebel Ridge just starts — the inciting incident is in the very first scene — and then gets more stressful with each passing moment. And while he’s not a flashy director, his style feels specific. He makes aggressive movies with a brain and a heart. I wish he’d been able to make two movies in the time it took him to make Rebel Ridge, because I want to see as much from him as I can. But I’m glad Rebel Ridge got made how it did, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
My favorite Pixar movie is Toy Story because Woody is kind of like a corrupt cop. He misuses his position as sheriff to try to neutralize a threat to his power.
Special thanks to Chris Rosen, who requested a Dad Shows entry about Rebel Ridge. He’s a dad and a man of good taste.