I haven't watched this yet myself (it dropped exclusively on Netflix today), but it's getting pretty great reviews (94% on RT) and is from director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark), with the excellent Green Room in particular being one of the most nerve-wracking movies I've ever seen. Will try to watch this one soon, but curious to hear what the board thinks...

Rebel Ridge
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11301886/
September 6, 2024
Netflix Exclusive

I just watched it tonight and liked it. Really liked the main actor. These days just give me a movie with something different, not the usual cliche dialogue, motivations, actions, responses, etc. And in that regard it succeeded. Based on Green Room and this movie, this director definitely knows how to build tension and keep it up without dropping. Its not a scary tension like Green Room, more of a steady slow burn tension of "when is this lead character finally gonna have enough and snap and what is he gonna do" type of tension.

I liked Green Room better because that movie is just an in your face, brutal, make your mouth drop open in shock type of tension. But this movie is worth the watch in my opinion. Nothing revolutionary, maybe a little too long, but this writer/director is now on my list to definitely keep tabs on what he's doing.

It was mostly good. Worth your time.

Great to hear. Thanks for the rundowns/opinions, and will try to watch in the next week or so.

When I read the original post and saw the blip about the director also having done Green Room, I thought, "oh, ok, this one is probably pretty good..." Then I read the next line, "...with the excellent Green Room in particular being one of the most nerve-wracking movies I've ever seen." There are some tense moments, but I was struggling to think how Green Room was one of the most nerve-wracking movies ever.

That's when I realized I was thinking of Green Book, not Green Room.

That being cleared up, I guess I need to give this (and Green Room) a shot. Hope y'all got a good chuckle out of my confusion as well.

Green Room and Blue Ruin are both great films. I enjoyed Rebel Ridge, it's a bit basic but well executed for what it's trying to be.

Max Power said:

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Green Room and Blue Ruin are both great films. I enjoyed Rebel Ridge, it's a bit basic but well executed for what it's trying to be.

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This

captkirk said:

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Reminds me of First Blood. I'm in.

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Naw, don't go into this expecting a Rambo type movie.

Yeah just watched it. Pretty good, but he was a nice guy throughout. Wish he had gone more scorched Earth

BurnetAggie99 said:

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I liked it. I'm a former Marine so anytime there is a Marine movie got to check it out.

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Former?

Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

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BurnetAggie99 said:

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I liked it. I'm a former Marine so anytime there is a Marine movie got to check it out.

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Former?

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Once a Marine Always a Marine only used Former as no longer active duty status

Yeah, it's best not to set a movie in Louisiana if you don't even attempt to have anyone with a coonass accent.

Really liked it otherwise.

45 minutes in and this is the second best movie of the year so far (behind Dune: Part Two). Holy *****

So. Damn. Good.

It's rare that we get to watch someone become a movie star with just one performance, but Aaron Pierre did just that.

While Jeremy Saulnier is now officially on my must-watch list.

Just… wow.

What an incredible experience.

captkirk said:

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Yeah just watched it. Pretty good, but he was a nice guy throughout. Wish he had gone more scorched Earth

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I feel the exact opposite. He was basically black, Louisiana Batman, refusing to kill. Which made the character and the movie infinitely more compelling, and his job that much more challenging. I absolutely loved that aspect.

It's crazy that John Boyega literally walked away from this role. He was cast, on location, checked into the hotel, and ready to shoot. Then bailed last minute for unknown reasons, obviously delaying production. So in a rush they cast Pierre and were somehow shooting two weeks later. Dude SHOWED UP, in more ways than one, and I'm so glad he did.

Glad to hear everyone is enjoying this film. I was hooked on Saulnier as soon as I saw Green Room. Had no idea Boyega was attached to this, but Pierre was a perfect fit. For the character to be a marine combat instructor, and be believable, you have to know how to move and also be formidable physically, not only did he do that but he had this presence about him on screen that I don't believe Boyega could pull off. The guy is polite and respectful, yet opposing and a guy you don't want to cross.

I wasn't really a fan of Hold the Dark but Saulnier didn't write that one, and his best works are films that he has written himself. He directed the couple of episodes of True Detective season 3, but IIRC he was originally supposed to direct the entire season until he had a falling out with Nic Pizzolatto. I wish we would have been able to see the whole thing as he saw it.

Another recommendation for anyone that enjoys this version of Don Johnson as the villain would be Brawl in Cell Block 99. It's also a revenge story but the violence is way over the top and Johnson plays the prison's warden.

TCTTS said:

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It's crazy that John Boyega literally walked away from this role. He was cast, on location, checked into the hotel, and ready to shoot. Then bailed last minute for unknown reasons, obviously delaying production. So in a rush they cast Pierre and were somehow shooting two weeks later. Dude SHOWED UP, in more ways than one, and I'm so glad he did.

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Did they really start shooting two weeks later? This makes it sound like they decided on using him in two weeks but production was delayed a year:

Quote:

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When John left the film, it was inevitable and out of respect for all parties involved; I can't get into the details of it. But every party would agree, it was the right situation. It had to be that way. And I was willing to risk the movie unless I found the one and only true Terry Richmond. The search was insanely short, because within weeks, I had a Zoom call in Louisiana with Aaron Pierre, and I knew in less than two minutes that this is the guy.

We had a very deep conversation. We were at this perfect crossroads, his career, my career. It did not seem in any way desperate, but it felt like we needed each other at that time. And the way he presented himself, his immediate interest and investment and dedication, was uplifting and immediately reenergized me.

But because of the logistics of the situation, we opted to go and wait another year, and the reason was, this was a big reset. Everyone needs a little time. Netflix was insanely supportive of giving Aaron the opportunity. And no one who's seen the film can imagine a version of this without Aaron Pierre. He shoulders this movie he's in about 129 scenes, maybe, of 135.

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I agree though that Pierre did a great job. Arguably better than Boyega ever could have done - just not the right fit I don't think for him.

Not sure I'd put this in my top 3 of the year, but it was very enjoyable. I'll also say Don Johnson makes a good bad guy as someone you want to see get beat to a pulp lol.

Was reading an article on Aaron Pierre. Talks about how he went through Mix Martial Arts and weapons training with Movie Military advisors that were Marines. In the movie he is a MCMAP instructor for the 6th Marine Regiment. Also talks how he will be in the new Blade movies.

So little Marine Corps history is the 6th Marine Infantry Regiment falls under the 2 Marine Division- II Marine Expeditionary Force @ Camp Lejeune NC

What I heard was two weeks, so as to keep all the remaining cast and crew together (who were already on set) and not blow the whole thing up. But a year reset also makes sense…

I don't remember specifics, but this isn't the first story about Boyega being a PITA, is it?

Pierre was damn good! so good in fact that any movie he is in i will make a point to watch it. He is now on my actor "idc the movie ill watch it" list

BurnetAggie99 said:

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Was reading an article on Aaron Pierre. Talks about how he went through Mix Martial Arts and weapons training with Movie Military advisors that were Marines. In the movie he is a MCMAP instructor for the 6th Marine Regiment. Also talks how he will be in the new Blade movies.

So little Marine Corps history is the 6th Marine Infantry Regiment falls under the 2 Marine Division- II Marine Expeditionary Force @ Camp Lejeune NC

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I'm no Marine or MMA specialist, but when Pierce performed that first real confrontation outside the police station my immediate thought was that this guy has to have had years of MMA training. That's just how natural and fluid he came across in his physicality. A lot of actors look unnatural when performing those types of fight scenes.

Just heard another source (The Big Picture podcast) that the movie was delayed a year due to Boyega leaving. So yeah, the two weeks thing was likely a misinterpretation. lt sounds like they even started filming with Boyega, then he just bolted one night. Unsubstantiated rumors of a family emergency, but apparently it was also a hard, hot shoot, so who knows. But yeah, between that delay and then another (unknown) delay after Pierre started shooting, this movie somehow took FOUR YEARS to make. Crazy.

I do have one spoilery plot question that I forgot to ask last night...

If Summer's record was sealed, how did the cops know she once had a drug problem, what drug to give her, etc? What am I missing here? Because I couldn't quite keep track of that sequence of events, from the break in to her being tested the next day, etc. Also, how the hell did she not wake up while someone was sticking a needle in her arm?

I could be wrong but IIRC didn't she say something about her ex at some point? She was staying clean to get her daughter back who she must have had a custody battle with her ex. If she relapses then she likely relinquishes all custody and also that's a small town where everyone knows everyone's business. If a girl had a heroin problem and lost custody of her daughter everyone is going to know about that, sealed records won't stop gossip. Also, all the cops would know about that either directly, or through that same gossip. No idea why she wouldn't remember someone sticking a needle in her arm though.

maybe the judge new and gave it away

I just attributed it it to the fact that it was a small town, and in small towns sealing records doesn't mean ****, especially to the cops