Film: Rebel Ridge  (Netflix)
Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Oscar Gail, Steve Zissis
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 131 min

This is a genre piece presented with a great deal of artistry. The film opens with Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast playing in the background while Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is knocked off his bicycle by a cop car. It’s clear that the cops are acting fishy and looking for someone to scam. Terry happens to fall nicely into their greasy, greedy hands as he has a lot of cash stashed away in his bag which the cops discover and seize. This is a tense prologue that grabs attention by generating relatable horror at what is transpiring right before our eyes.

The shady small town cops played by David Denman and Emory Cohen, are just doing what they do best. They don’t really think that Terry has a hope in hell of fighting them and their corrupt small town operation led by their slimy Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) who appears to be getting better and better with age). Terry claims he can account for the money and does it too, but the cops are a law unto themselves. Then the unexpected happens and Terry who was quiet and centered while appealing to their good offices starts letting go off his monumental control.