This was on my queue at Netflix for the last week, but it was a film that I was not sure I was intending on watching any time soon. However, a friend of mine said that he liked it so I decided to give this a chance. I am really happy that I did because Rebel Ridge was an excellent film.

I have heard people refer to this as a Rambo-esque film, and I can see some connections, especially First Blood. However, the feel of these two films differ as does the main protagonist.

According to IMDB, “Terry Richmond enters the town of Shelby Springs on a simple but urgent mission– post bail for his cousin and save him from imminent danger. But when Terry’s life’s savings is unjustly seized by law-enforcement, he’s forced to go head to head with local police chief Sandy Burnne and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally in court clerk Summer McBride and the two become ensnared in a deep-rooted conspiracy within the remote township. As the stakes turn deadly, Terry must call upon his mysterious background to break the department’s hold on the community, bring justice to his own family– and protect Summer in the process.“

The film provided a potential star-making turn for Aaron Pierre, who played Terry Richmond. He carried himself with a confidence and a force that made you believe that, despite being in what seemed like an unwinnable situation, he would come out of it on top. His screen presence was off the charts and he seemed to match with Don Johnson, who played local sheriff Sandy Burnne.

I really enjoyed the manner in which Terry went about his business. It was not as much about revenge as it was justice. The inclusion of Summer kept him grounded and I was very happy that it did not just devolved into a big gunfight.

This seems to be a thinking-man’s action hero and it makes Rebel Ridge down to earth and intelligent. It started out with that yucky feeling of police dealing with an African-American man, but it became more than just the racism.

I enjoyed this Netflix film quite a bit.

4 stars