2024 Netflix
Rated: TV-MA
Length: 2 hr 11min
Action ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Thriller
Directed by: Jeremy Saulnier
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Emory Cohen.
“I’m running out of letters. And I don’t mean to reminisce, but it’s one thing I can’t shake from the Corps: Acronyms. And the acronym you need to worry about right now is PACE.”
Aaron Pierre stars as Terry Richmond, an ex-Marine riding his bicycle into the town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana. He is listening to his earbuds and wears a backpack containing a paper bag full of $36,000 cash. He is going to the courthouse to bail out his cousin Mike Simmons and then buy a pick-up truck so they can make an honest living hauling boats. He is intentionally hit, and surprised, by a Shelby Springs Police Cruiser. The two officers illegally detain and search Terry against his will. Upon finding the money they seize it claiming Civil Asset Forfeiture, and then let Terry go.
Terry makes it to the courthouse and tries to post bail telling the Clerk that the County already has his money, illegally confiscated by the Police Department. Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb), another courthouse clerk, overhears Terry and offers to help him. Summer promises to have the paperwork ready for his cousin’s release if he can get the money together for the bail. Terry then goes to the Police station and tries to report the money stolen. Police Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) intervenes and tells Terry that unless he leaves he is looking at several felony charges, “Now, F*CK OFF! and get out of here!”
Terry leaves and arranges to get the $10,000 he needs from his former Marine colleague and business partner Mr. Liu. The police know that Terry got the original $36,000 from Mr. Liu, and raid the restaurant he owns and seizes cash under the guise of Civil Asset Forfeiture. Feeling trapped into a corner by the corrupt Police Chief and Department, he sees no recourse but to go to the station and take matters into his own hands. Chief Burnne confronts Terry outside just as they discover that Terry is a Marine Martial Arts Instructor specializing in Jujitsu.
And that’s the moment we see Terry’s calm, quiet demeanor turn into a very methodical Jujitsu Martial Arts Master. He overpowers the Chief and the Officers and retrieves just the $10,000 he needs to bail out his cousin. He then goes down to the courthouse where Summer helps him expedite the Bail paperwork. Terry, along with Summer, discover in trying to get his cousin out of jail that there is a very corrupt conspiracy involving the Police department and the Courthouse. They team up and help each other to uncover the conspiracy, and take down the corrupt Police Department and Judicial system of Shelby Springs.
Jeremy Saulnier (who wrote, produced, directed and edited rebel Ridge) says Rebel Ridge could be mistaken for a true story (although it is not) because he built the whole movie around the legal loophole anti-drug regulation Civil Asset Forfeiture. In Jeremy’s words, “It’s this insane loophole in anti-drug regulation that allows law enforcement to seize property from ordinary citizens without any proof of criminal activity. I thought it’d make a great premise for a movie because of how unifying it is — it pisses everyone off.”
Aaron Pierre is fairly new to the Movie scene, this being his fourth movie. The Others are:
He has done quite a few TV series starting in 2017. This is my first introduction to Aaron and I am immediately a fan. He was excellent in this as the quiet calm marine who has a storm brewing just under the surface. His other movies; Old, Brother and Foe are now on my watchlist. I am going to be doing an end of year series on Best of, Top Ten lists, etc. and I think Aaron might inspire a category; Best New Actor. (Maybe Mia Goth for Best New Actress) (What do You think? Let me know in the comments section)
AnnaSophia Robb is fairly new to movies as well, her most recent before this being the 2021 Eytan Rockaway movie Lansky. She was very likeable as the single mother trying to do the right things. “I appreciate your appreciation.” I thought Aaron and Annasophia were a good pair portraying the underdogs trying to expose a corrupt City Judicial system. And Don Johnson is completely believable as the cocky corrupt southern Police Chief.
Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, it’s a good one.
A high Action Crime Drama Thriller I Highly Recommended!
The Folks watched it two nights ago and gave it two thumbs up, so……
That’s SIX THUMBS UP!!!!
Anymore thumbs up?
Let us know in the comments section…..
STREAMING MOVIE NIGHT 