- Date of Release: 06 September 2024
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Netflix
Rebel Ridge
Introduction
In an early scene in the new English film Rebel Ridge, you see the protagonist quietly riding his bike before being rammed by a police vehicle and detaining him randomly. As the scene progresses further, the levels of tension are slowly escalated when a pile of cash is recovered from his bag, the legit money that he had saved up to bail out his cousin who was in jail. And while the cops illegally seize the pile of cash terming it as ‘drug money’, the protagonist now injured by the fall, is left to fend for himself while also having the burden to apply for his cousin’s bail after being empty handed. But this is just the tip of the iceberg in the film given that it deals with a whole lot of corruption and misdoings by the cops that invariably translates into a simmering angry burning within the protagonist and his ally. Yet, the approach that the drama takes is a rather different one of curbing the violence and the court cases while allowing the atmospherics to take over and grounding the film in reality. In other words, this is the mass masala template that you may see in a Shankar film but without the masala and the over-the-top sequences.
Story & Screenplay
Rebel Ridge at its core is a revenge story in a good versus the bad template, or more accurately that of a common man versus the entire establishment. And there are several instances for the same – the protagonist after his earlier not-so-pleasant encounter with the cops, finds little support even at the courthouse featuring a clerk who refuses to help him without the cash, another of his encounter with the cops reveal that the latter aren’t agreeing to file an FIR while ‘asking’ him to leave town at the very first instance. Yet, the protagonist who is shown to be an ex-marines officer never really exerts the punches by smashing the establishment to pulp. In fact, the only forms of violence that you are privy to is indulging in close quarters combat, a method used to nullify the opponent without physically landing punches. And so, the simmering form of tensions are consistently kept simmering throughout the course of the screenplay standing at 130 odd minutes that is filled with infuriating anger not in the form of a fire but almost in the form of a candle that keeps on burning despite the winds of the establishment looking to extinguish it.
The stakes in the drama are raised in a two-fold manner here – one with the atrocities that the protagonist is subjected to early on in the film, something that he oftens gulps down eyeing the larger scheme of things. And the other involving his cousin brother who is seemingly jailed and detained in custody for all the wrong reasons, so much so that even the procedure involving a ‘bail’ cannot quite get him out of the pickle. And hence, the subsequent tragedy in the life of the protagonist hardly comes as a surprise, something that also threatens to distinguish the anger within him, and accept the reality in front of him before looking to dig deeper in the conspiracy with his ally whom he meets at the courthouse, and someone who is dealing with issues of her own.
The proceedings unfold in a leisurely manner and this slow burn approach did make the drama interesting given the unpredictability of the situation. So because the protagonist wasn’t a larger than life entity (although powerful), you aren’t sure on if the establishment will ever be overpowered by a single man. And that did translate into the unpredictability quotient that had me on my toes throughout the narrative. Another interesting facet about the drama lay in the fact that the ‘legal’ battle here was separated out from the court, meaning all the events did take place outside the court even as the protagonist uncovered a spiraling conspiracy that seemed socially relevant even in today’s time (Remember Black Lives Matter?, except this spanned to other ethnicities too). The events leading up to the final act are pulsating but still grounded and in line with the theme of the drama leading to a satisfactory final act although I would have liked a little outro to end the drama, something that would have closed the vicious circle. But overall, the screenplay here is a winner and it makes for a quietly powerful watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but laced witu infuriating bouts of anger that is often used as an undercurrent in the screenplay to fuel the narrative. The BGM is sedated and in line with the subdued theme of the drama that consistently keeps the drama grounded without glorifying the alpha male in the purest sense. The cinematography comprises of frames that are devoid of violence and gore that does contribute to the drama being cerebral in many ways. The editing is crisp and sharp that keeps the escalating tensions in the narrative intact while only letting off steam in bits and parts during the combat sequences (which were also grounded in nature with respect to the choreography). Director Jeremy Saulnier does a wonderful job in keeping the reality of the situations in check while presenting this drama with a quiet yet powerful flair. His idea of grounding the protagonist while also showcasing his power was a refreshing idea implemented to perfection, wherein the direction was brilliant through and through.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. David Denman as Martson is given a small little character arc to play with and he does a good job. Emory Cohen as Lann is infuriating with his presence which means he is pretty good in the film. Zsane Jhe as Sims is sincere and endearing while managing to shine despite a limited screen time. Don Johnson as as Burnne is conniving and calculating while doing a stellar job with his character. AnnaSophia Robb as Summer has a great screen presence and her quiet yet powerful persona works well for her character. But yhe star of the show is Aaron Pierre in a career defining role as Terry. Not only does he have a towering screen presence but his minimalistic approach to his character also added layers to his stunning performance. I see a star in the making here and the early signs looks wonderfully promising, even as he smacks it out of the park here!
Conclusion
Rebel Ridge is a cerebral and a socially relevant thriller with stunning performances that delivers a quiet yet stinging punch, making it a brilliant watch. Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended!