You’d be hard-pressed this year to find a movie that’s as lean and mean as Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge. A thriller that’s part Rambo, part Reacher, and all Aaron Pierre, it confidently rolls into town, kicks some ass, then gets out with only a few scratches here and there. After the director’s previous effort, the illusive yet still intriguing and visually haunting Hold the Dark, this one is a more standard take on an action thriller that still proves to be quite a ride. It isn’t quite as stunning a work as his earlier films, Green Room and Blue Ruin, though still punches things up a notch every time it needs to. It’s the type of scrappy though still solid film that feels like it would play perfectly in a theater, which makes it a shame that it’s being dropped on Netflix rather unceremoniously during the week of the Toronto Film Festival where his past films premiered. What can be celebrated is that Saulnier is again flexing new muscles as a filmmaker and, even when it can flame out occasionally along the way, his latest film is still cooking with gas when it counts.

What Is ‘Rebel Ridge’ About?

This all begins with Terry Richmond (Pierre), cycling into the small town of Shelby Springs with money in his backpack that he intends to use to bail out his cousin and to give them what is essentially a fresh start. Before he can get there, he’s attacked by a police officer on the road who rams him with his squad car and, once his partner arrives, proceeds to steal all his money under the somehow legal process that is known as “civil asset forfeiture.” Basically, the two cops can pretend they suspect Terry of a crime and take all his money under this false pretense. You can sue to get it back, but that could take months with no guarantee you’d even get it all. It’s a real thing that is part of the nightmare that is modern America.

This makes what was already a bad situation even worse as Terry now is without the means to bail out his cousin, who is in increasing danger the longer he is held. Even when he tries to strike a potential deal with the local force, who are overseen by the cruel police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), to get enough of the money back to complete at least part of his mission, there is much more going on than he had initially realized. Terry finds an ally at the city in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb), and the two of them will have to team up to take on a corrupt department that will do anything to cover up their many misdeeds.

For those unfamiliar with Pierre, this film is about as great an introduction as one could hope to get. Though he did what he could to save last year’s science fiction misfire Foe in a supporting role, Rebel Ridge is a vehicle that sets him up for success while having plenty of strengths of its own. It plays to his boundless charisma just as it does his silent poise whenever he surveys each simple yet well-shot scene, making it more than just the aforementioned reference points of Rambo and Reacher. Both those men would have their occasional moments of emotion that could grab hold of you, though even as someone who loves them both, there is actually a sense of a more complex character here behind the layers and layers of muscle. Every interaction he has, both with potential foes and his even rarer friends, feels alive in a way that ensures the subsequent action has real weight to it.

‘Rebel Ridge’ Is a Perfect Showcase for Pierre

When he encounters loss and pain on the way, we believe every second of it. Pierre is never overselling this either, playing Terry with an eye for sly humor just as there is a real heartfelt core to what he’s undertaking. He’s a human being who we learn has all the required skills to take on the small army of the local police force, but he’s of flesh and blood too. In every piercing stare, you can see Terry’s determination and drive just as you do brief flashes of overwhelming despair at the depravity that surrounds him. It becomes surprisingly emotionally impactful at key moments, all of which Pierre plays perfectly. For all the restraint both actor and character embody, the joy of the film comes in how you see the righteous fury growing inside him. It’s just waiting to burst free to set things right in a world gone awry.

When that all comes to the forefront, the film boasts plenty of delightful action that also feels appropriately gruesome. Saulnier doesn’t spoil this by coming out of the gate with all the fights too soon. Instead, it’s a steady build to when Terry must fully take matters into his own hands. The way he then must move quickly to take down enemies who have them outgunned doesn’t get quite as audaciously gory as Green Room or Blue Ruin, though you still feel every impact all the same. Despite this, there are some moments that can stumble. Certain exposition dumps drag down the momentum and a key reveal near the end makes immediately little sense when you think back to what set this all in motion. It holds back the film from soaring as high as Pierre does with what is a star-making performance, but that doesn’t mean it can’t kick some ass with its feet planted firmly on the ground. When you have a lead who brings such grace to every scene, any who comes in his character’s way, be they corrupt cops or silly streamers that don’t give his film a proper release, best watch out.

Rebel Ridge is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. starting September 6.

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