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Anthony and Joe Russo's latest Netflix feature, "The Electric State," is one of the most discussed films of 2025 thus far, though not for reasons the filmmakers or the streamer would likely prefer. In the months leading up to its March 14 debut, the conversation centered mostly on the expense of the production. Reportedly made for a whopping $320 million, it's currently the priciest film in Netflix history. Obviously, the Russos don't come cheap, nor do stars Chris Pratt or Millie Bobby Brown, but when people see a price tag like that, they expect world-class cinematic spectacle. They want something akin to the Russos' "Avengers" movies.

Alas, they didn't want "The Electric State." Based on Simon Stålenhag's 2018 graphic novel, the film -- which centers on a young woman (Brown) and a sentient robot searching for the former's presumed dead brother -- earned scathing reviews across the board. It currently holds an...

Tantoo Cardinal will receive the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Canada gala in Toronto on May 29.

The second annual event, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, will see Cardinal, who is of Cree and Métis heritage, receive the honor presented in partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office. Over a 50-year career, Cardinal has film credits that include Dances With Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon, Legends of the Fall, Black Robe and Hold the Dark.

Her TV series credits include Longmire, Echo, Stumptown, Three Pines, Godless, Blackstone, Moccasin Flats and North of 60. Cardinal received the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor, in 2009.

The Equity in Entertainment Award, which honors those who reflect and amplify the voices and stories of underrepresented communities, was created in 2016 by The Hollywood Reporter as part of its Women in Entertainment annual event in Los Angeles.

Past honorees stateside include Selena Gomez,...

Actress Riley Keough ("Daisy Jones and the Six"), grand-daughter of Elvis Presley, poses for “Elle” magazine, wearing Chanel clothing and Chanel Fine Jewelry, photographed by Olivia Malone:

Keough made her feature film debut in the musical biopic "The Runaways" (2010), portraying 'Marie Currie’…

…followed by indie thriller "The Good Doctor" (2011), "Jack & Diane" (2012) and "Magic Mike" (2012).

Keough appeared in several additional independent films in 2012…

…including "Yellow" and "Kiss of the Damned", before appearing in "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015).

Her breakthrough role was in the anthology TV series "The Girlfriend Experience" (2016)…

…followed by the features "American Honey" (2017), "It Comes at Night" (2017)…

…and "Logan Lucky" (2017).

She followed with roles in various thrillers including "The House That Jack Built" (2018)….

…”Under the Silver Lake" (2018) and "Hold the Dark (2018) .

Click the images to enlarge…...

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Actress Riley Keough ("Daisy Jones and the Six"), the grand-daughter of Elvis Presley, poses for the November 2024 issue of “Harper’s Bazaar” (Australia) magazine, wearing Chanel clothing and jewelry, photographed by David Roemer:

Keough made her feature film debut in the musical biopic "The Runaways" (2010), portraying 'Marie Currie'…

…followed by indie thriller "The Good Doctor" (2011), "Jack & Diane" (2012) and "Magic Mike" (2012).

Keough appeared in several additional independent films in 2012…

…including "Yellow" and "Kiss of the Damned", before appearing in "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015).

Her breakthrough role was in the anthology TV series "The Girlfriend Experience" (2016)…

…followed by the features "American Honey" (2017), "It Comes at Night" (2017)…

…and "Logan Lucky" (2017).

She followed with roles in various thrillers including "The House That Jack Built" (2018)….

…”Under the Silver Lake" (2018) and "Hold the Dark (2018) .

Plot: Brothers tells the story of a reformed criminal whose attempt at going straight is derailed when he reunites with his sanity-testing twin brother on a cross-country road trip for the score of a lifetime. Dodging bullets, the law, and an overbearing mother along the way, they must heal their severed family bond before they end up killing each other.

Review: Some of the best dramatic actors have started as comedic performers. The same can not always be said about the reverse. Peter Dinklage has proven himself skilled at any genre he puts his talents to, while Josh Brolin has not appeared in a role like this in a long time. Brothers boasts the creative team behind the time loop hit Palm Springs and the upcoming remake of The Toxic Avenger but lacks the creativity nor distinctiveness of those projects. Brothers feels like a relic from decades ago, with jokes that fall flat,...

(Welcome to Under the Radar, a column where we spotlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our eye and deserved more attention ... but otherwise flew under the radar. In this edition: Jeremy Saulnier's action flick "Rebel Ridge," the coming-of-age comedy "Snack Shack," and the wonderful Studio Ghibli documentary "Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.")

Don't look now, but 2024 is almost completely in our rearview mirror and you, our loyal /Film readers, must know what that means. Putting the finishing touches on our top 10 lists, engaging in unnecessarily angry debates about the buzziest Oscar-worthy movies, and cramming multiple disparate holidays into one hazy, months-long exercise in stream of consciousness are what the autumn and winter seasons were made for! But as this year in film begins to wind to a close, let not a single film enthusiast forget their most sacred duty of all. Of the many benefits of this column,...

Ever feel like you’ve stumbled upon a treasure trove but have no map to find more of the gold? That’s exactly how fans of Rebel Ridge are feeling these days—absolutely smitten by Jeremy Saulnier’s Netflix gem, but stumped on what to watch next.

Don Johnson and Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge | Credit: Netflix

Is it the unique blend of legal conspiracy and payback action that makes Rebel Ridge so addictive? This film truly stands out as one of Netflix’s finest. It offers a fresh take on the classic revenge narrative, featuring a breakout performance from Pierre, and showcases the director’s talent for ramping up the tension like no one else.

If you’ve recently treated yourself to Rebel Ridge and are on the hunt for more cinematic gems with a similar vibe, you’re in luck! We’ve put together a list that’ll...

Stars: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Daniel H. Chung, Dana Lee | Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier

It has been a while since Jeremy Saulnier gifted audiences with a film. After the one-two punch of 2013’s tense Blue Ruin and 2015’s masterful Green Room, Saulnier was solidified as a director worth watching. Since then, he has made 2018’s Hold the Dark, and worked on season 3 of True Detective. With Rebel Ridge, the writer/director has delivered another work that shows why he remains one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.

The story opens with the sight of Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a former Marine, cycling into the town of Shelby Springs. With Metallica blaring in his earbuds, this prominent character is shown to be singularly focused as he rides into town with $36,000 in cash, money intended to post bail for his cousin...

Set in the remote town of Ennis, Alaska, True Detective: Night Country is a gorgeous and achingly cold season of television. In stark contrast to the southern-baked heat of True Detective's first three seasons, Issa Lpez's addition to the popular HBO franchise was one of recent television's most original takes on the crime genre. In fact, to find a story with a similar setting and tone, one would have to search for not another television show but an underrated Netflix film called Hold the Dark.

Starring Jeffrey Wright as a writer who moonlights as a wolf expert who's been called to a small Alaskan town to investigate the disappearance of three young children, Hold the Dark is every bit as mysterious, supernatural, and, yes, cold as True Detective: Night Country. And much like that incredibly popular television series, as this haunting and violent suspense film twists and turns toward its climax,...

The thriller Rebel Ridge was announced back in 2019, but took five years to make its way out into the world because the production was delayed by the pandemic lockdowns, then by the departure of lead actor John Boyega a few weeks into filming, reportedly due to “family reasons.” Saulnier has said that the making of Rebel Ridge saw him “slamming right into the Hollywood I’ve tried to avoid,” and, “We came back three years in a row to make that movie.” But the troubles were worth it, because the finished film was well-received (you can read our 8/10 review Here) and a success on Netflix. Now, Saulnier is looking forward to his next movie – and he’s going back to his roots to tell a fun Halloween story.

Saulnier’s previous credits include Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark, and episodes of True Detective season 3. During an interview on The Playlist podcast,...

Director Jeremy Saulnier, who has gone on to direct films like the revenge thriller Blue Ruin, the neo-Nazi horror film Green Room, the mystery thriller Hold the Dark, and the crime thriller Rebel Ridge, as well as episodes of True Detective season 3, made his feature debut back in 2007 with the awesome horror comedy Murder Party (watch it Here) – and now Murder Party, which was previously only available on DVD when it comes to physical media releases, is finally set to reach Blu-ray!

Variety reports that Ocn Distribution, sister company of the genre-centric home video label Vinegar Syndrome, has secured a deal with distributor Magnolia Pictures and their genre imprint Magnet Releasing to bring several of their titles on Blu-ray and 4K Uhd. Magnolia and Vinegar Syndrome previously teamed up to bring the 2021 British horror film Censor to Blu-ray, but the first movie to get a Blu-ray release as part of...

Jeremy Saulnier, the director responsible for Netflix's hit action thriller Rebel Ridge, has said that he's already working on his next film. Unfortunately, for those digging his latest feature, he isn't working on a sequel to Rebel Ridge, or something remotely touching on the same genre. Apparently, he has decided to go back to his less "sober" roots.

The director appeared on The Playlist podcast, where he expanded on the screenplay he's currently writing. Saulnier has decided to return to the tone of previous projects like Green Room and his first feature, Murder Party, and take a more fun approach to his unique storytelling style. Per Saulnier's statement:

"Im currently writing something thats a little more in the Green Room universe. Because with Rebel Ridge, I was exploring a new side. I was just tired of everything I do being oppressive. But Ive kinda gone back. It has to...

As interesting as the idea of a Rebel Ridge sequel may sound after the Netflix action movie success, Jeremy Saulnier's next planned movie has the potential to be even better than Rebel Ridge 2. Serving as Jeremy Saulnier's fifth feature film, Rebel Ridge has performed incredibly well critically and commercially since its release. The film has stayed in Netflix's weekly top 10 for two weeks straight and boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. With so much going on in its favor, Rebel Ridge's sequel seems inevitable.

Although Rebel Ridge's ending is fairly conclusive, its narrative can be expanded into a full-fledged franchise in more ways than one. Owing to this, it is hard not to hope that Netflix will greenlight its sequel and pave the way for it to become an action franchise. However, Jeremy Saulnier seems to have different plans for his next movie, and, from the looks of it,...

Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge dominated Netflix’s Top 10 list for the second week this week and it has gained acclaim with a certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96% with an audience score of 69%. Our own Chris Bumbray says in his review, “But what makes Rebel Ridge such a must-watch movie are the action sequences, which are shot in a lean, mean, and realistic way. You see, in the film, Terry is a former close combat instructor, and those are the tactics he uses to take on his opponents, with Pierre thrillingly adept in the well-staged martial arts sequences. This kind of action role makes a guy like him a star, and one has to imagine that the suits at Marvel and DC will be keeping an eye on him.” The fights scenes are a standout for the film and one person who has ample experience with hardcore fighting is director Timo Tjahjanto.

It didn’t feel as though Rebel Ridge had a ton of buzz leading up to its premiere on Netflix, but Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller is making up for that in a big way. For the second week in a row, Rebel Ridge is dominating Netflix’s Top 10 list, with 38.6 million views. Its closest competitor, the sci-fi movie Uglies, is lagging behind with 20.8 million views

Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who “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 (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) and the two become ensnared...

Throughout film history, there have been companies and, for certain stretches, whole studios notorious for churning out garbage. Obviously, American International Pictures had a rep for schlock, but they hit for a shockingly high average at their late 1950s and '60s peak. There's also Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus' Cannon Films, which sparkled with its constellation of B-list action stars like Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson, but Golan was a filmmaker himself with dreams of respectability who courted legit directors like Franco Zeffirelli, Jerry Schatzberg, and Andrei Konchalovsky to make Academy Awards-worthy movies for his exploitation factory.

One of the more outlandishly awful runs from any production entity was Hollywood Pictures, which was created by Disney to nurture fledgling executives and feed film-starved multiplexes — lacking in the wake of MGM/UA, Lorimar and Deg's financial difficulties — with new movies. Disney wasn't sending its best to Hollywood Pictures, so agents...

“Rebel Ridge” is the #1 movie on Netflix right now.

In its first week of release the movie, which stars Aaron Pierre as a former Marine who heads to a small town to post bail for his cousin and finds himself in an increasingly labyrinthine conspiracy, amassed a whopping 31.2 million views (according to Netflix). It also won killer reviews, including our own review, which described the movie as “exciting, engaging, stimulating entertainment.” Plus, every cool kid you follow on Letterboxd is watching, rating and talking about it. Just look.

And this kind of universal acceptance and acclaim would be a feat for any movie, really, but it seems like even more of an accomplishment given the journey that “Rebel Ridge” has been on. This is a movie whose production weathered a Covid-19 shutdown, an abrupt change in the movie’s main cast and a prolonged post-production process.

For writer/director Jeremy Saulnier,...

Rebel Ridge has become a global Netflix hit. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who previously directed the Netflix movie Hold the Dark, the recently released crime thriller follows Aaron Pierres character Terry Richmond, an ex-marine officer who finds himself embroiled in a web of small-town corruption after an attempt to post bail for his incarcerated cousin escalates into a showdown. Aside from Pierre, the Rebel Ridge cast includes Emory Cohen, Don Johnson, David Denman, AnnaSophia Robb, and Steve Zissis.

Now, the new Netflix thriller has become a global hit on the streaming service. Rebel Ridge comes in at the top of Netflix's Global Top 10 chart for the week of September 2September 8. The crime thriller has amassed over 31 million since its release on the streamer, beating other recent entries like Lee Daniels The Deliverance and The Union.

Rebel Ridge Has The Potential To Kick Off A Successful Action Franchise For...

Rebel Ridge director Jeremy Saulnier addresses Star Wars actor John Boyega's exit from the Netflix film. Marking his latest movie after 2018's Hold the Dark, Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as ex-Marine Terry Richmond, who finds himself in a showdown against corrupt, small-town cops as he attempts to post bail for his cousin. The film, which also stars Don Johnson, David Denman, AnnaSophia Robb, and Emory Cohen, had a rocky road during production due in part to the departure of Boyega, who was originally slated to play Terry, with "family reasons" being cited for the exit.

In a recent interview with Vulture, Saulnier is asked about Pierre's casting and how Rebel Ridge kept going after Boyega left the project. While the director doesn't go into detail regarding why exactly Boyega left and the speculation that it wasn't just due to family reasons, he does stress that it was...

My first tryst with Jeremy Saulnier was the 2015 punk vs. nazi thriller Green Room. I had no idea what I was walking into. But the barn burner of a movie, where late Anton Yelchin delivered one hell of a performance, and Sir Patrick Stewart played a very against-type Nazi cult leader, did more than enough for me to check out the director’s other work. So I immediately jumped onto Blue Ruin, Saulnier’s previous film, where he gave a whole new spin to the usual revenge drama genre. It was as anxiety-inducing as Green Room, but much more methodical and subdued in approach. Both films, however, managed to put the name of Jeremy Saulnier in my semi-pro-level cinema enthusiast head. But I eventually moved on. Saulnier did come back to the scene with Hold the Dark, arguably his biggest film, boasting of a stellar cast and the backing of Netflix,...

Quick Links Is Rebel Ridge the Best Cop Thriller of 2024? Serpico: The True Story of a Whistleblower Al Pacino Is at His Best in Serpico

The action thriller genre has excited audiences for many decades. Although it is a genre that encompasses many movies and is sometimes coupled with other genres, some stylistic choices and themes are at the core of it. Whether it be about police officers on the hunt for a dangerous criminal, organized killers, or men rejected by society, they happen to often feature lonesome or rogue male characters.

Several of them also deal with corruption in the police force, like Rebel Ridge. For a long time, the police were often portrayed as the good guys and the heroes of the story. However, after much work by producer Dino De Laurentiis in 1972, he got the green light from Paramount Pictures to make a film about corruption in the NYPD.

Rebel Ridge takes the audience on a tense ride into the world of police corruption, but does hero Terry Richmond get justice in the end?

Netflix's new 2024 thriller is directed by Jeremy Saulnier, best known for his work on True Detective and Hold the Dark. 

While Rebel Ridge is not based on a true story, the film is grounded in the truth of things that could happen and explores how everyday people react to corrupt systems.

Read full article on The Direct.

Watching a Jeremy Saulnier thriller is a unique experience. Each film offers an interesting yet differing take and viewpoint, all while chilling the audience to the bone. Blue Ruin explores revenge by way of a mysterious, unfurling plotline; Green Room is the best horror film about the Neo-Nazi punk rock scene ever made, ultimately curling back into subtle (hair-raising) satire, and Hold The Dark explores animalistic mythos and portrays Alaska as its never been seen on film before. In his new thriller Rebel Ridge, director Saulnier teams up with rising star Aaron Pierre to explore themes of law and corruption sure to keep the audience in maddening, spell-binding suspense from beginning to end.

Maybe there’s hope for quality Netflix originals apart from its awards contenders. “Rebel Ridge,” a topical thriller about an ex-Marine confronting a corrupt small-town sheriff, is #1 at Netflix. It stars Aaron Pierre — who stepped into the role after John Boyega walked off the production in June 2021. A respected actor and ascendant star, Pierre is not a household name like Mark Wahlberg or Adam Sandler or Eddie Murphy, all of whom recently took Netflix originals to #1.

Nor is it a flashy drama, or a big-budget production. Its director, Jeremy Saulnier, most recently directed “Hold the Dark” for Netflix in 2018 (along with a couple of episodes of “True Detective”). IndieWire has watched his career for years, but directors like these also have wound up at Netflix making films that lack edginess or creativity. This seems like a happy exception. Its success suggests that well-crafted stories driven by substantial characters can be popular,...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Rebel Ridge!

Netflix's new action movie Rebel Ridge is inspired by a real-life altercation. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge features a strong cast led by Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Don Johnson. The film follows a tension-fueled premise of an ex-Marine getting framed by corrupt cops in a small town in southern America. Terry Richmond, the ex-Marine protagonist played by Pierre, ultimately gets into a showdown with Johnson's Chief Sandy Summers after having tens of thousands of dollars stolen from him. Terry was unethically detained by officers Evan Marston (Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen).

By the end of Rebel Ridge, Terry fights against corrupt local law enforcement to bring them to justice and find revenge using his highly advanced close combat skills. After being released on Netflix on September 6, 2024, Rebel Ridge has become the most popular movie on the streaming platform,...

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Rebel Ridge.

Rebel Ridge director Jeremy Saulnier breaks down the film's ending action sequence. Saulnier's latest film after the likes of Green Room (2015) and Hold the Dark (2018) stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, an ex-Marine who finds himself facing off against a crew of corrupt, small-town cops while trying to post bail for his cousin. The Rebel Ridge ending sees Terry's confrontation come to a head in a chaotic shootout, with Pierre's character ultimately saving the life of David Denman's honest Officer Evan Marston while taking down his corrupt colleagues.

In a recent interview with Netflix, Saulnier explains how that ending sequence in Rebel Ridge was pulled off. The director stresses that he wanted all the action to feel "grounded" and real, and Pierre himself played a large role in this. According to Saulnier, the scene in which Pierre quickly drags Denman to...

Netflix has sparked an impressive new action franchise with the release of Rebel Ridge. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge features a strong cast led by Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Don Johnson. The film follows a tension-fueled premise of an ex-Marine getting framed by corrupt cops in a small town in southern America. The ex-Marine is named Terry Richmond, played by Pierre, who ultimately gets into a showdown with Johnson's Chief Sandy Summers after having tens of thousands of dollars stolen from him while being unethically detained by officers Evan Marston (Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen).

By the end of Rebel Ridge, Terry must fight against corrupt local law enforcement to bring them to justice and get revenge using his highly advanced close combat skills. After being released on Netflix on September 6, 2024, Rebel Ridge has become the most popular movie on the streaming platform,...

Warning! This post contains spoilers for Netflix's Rebel Ridge.

Jeremy Saulnier's movies are known for following one interesting trend, but his new critically acclaimed Netflix movie brilliantly breaks away from his usual style of storytelling. After working as the cinematographer in 2006's Hamilton, Jeremy Saulnier made his directorial debut in 2007 with Murder Party. The film not only won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival but also went on to earn acclaim from several viewers and critics.

Following his debut, Saulnier directed the revenge thriller film Blue Ruin, which further established him as a talented filmmaker after earning an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. The director continued his successful run with Green Room in 2015, which failed to leave its mark at the box office but received immense acclaim from critics. His 2018 film, Hold the Dark, also mostly received positive reviews, though it was considered...

Rebel Ridge not only walks through thrilling action sequences and a compelling crime drama but also features memorable performances from a talented set of actors. Serving as Jeremy Saulnier's fifth feature film, Rebel Ridge is significantly different from the director's previous works. Unlike Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark, and Murder Party, Rebel Ridge does not feature graphic violence and relies more on gradually building tension to keep a viewer hooked.

However, despite this, Saulnier's directorial forte is still on full display as he cleverly explores subjects like racism and flawed laws surrounding civil asset forfeiture and misdemeanor sentences. The film's gripping narrative is held together by its cast, which includes both familiar and new faces. Since the cast plays a crucial role in selling Rebel Ridge's crime drama to audiences, viewers may be curious where they know the movie's actors from.

Actor

Role

Aaron Pierre...

Rebel Ridge’s Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) didn’t sign up for this. Years after his service as a Marine, he works at a Chinese restaurant and tries to stay out of trouble. But that doesn’t stop trouble from coming for him — and come for him it does, when he’s pulled over on his bike by a pair of police officers in the fictional small town of Shelby Springs.

It’s a familiar circumstance that soon spirals into something else entirely. “While it rings true, I think the audience will be surprised by where the storyline actually goes,” writer-director Jeremy Saulnier told Netflix. Terry is on his way to bail his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc) out of jail. But Terry hits a snag when the officers who stop him seize the cash he’s pulled together for bail money.

With that, Terry is tossed into a whirlwind of...

When Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) cycles into a small town on a mission of mercy in Rebel Ridge, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. The ex-Marine is there to bail out his cousin, who’s currently under arrest. But before he can even reach the courthouse, Terry is hurled off his bike and into the center of a vast conspiracy that implicates every level of the town of Shelby Springs — and it’ll take all of his skills to get out.

Rebel Ridge’s writer-director Jeremy Saulnier told Netflix, “As a filmmaker, I dig grounded ’80s and ’90s action films that not only deliver on spectacle but succeed in tying on-screen mayhem to a real and true emotional component. Smaller scale, bigger impact. Less veneer, less artificiality. They’re rooted in a ‘kick up the dust’ level of craft and authenticity that I don’t see...

Rebel Ridge has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a near-perfect score. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who is best known for films like Blue Ruin (2013) and Green Room (2015), Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as an ex-marine who finds himself facing off against a team of small-town cops while attempting to post bail for his cousin. In addition to Pierre, the film also stars Don Johnson, David Denman, AnnaSophia Robb, Emory Cohen, and Daniel H. Chung. Ahead of its release on Netflix this Friday, Rebel Ridge reviews are now pouring in.

With reviews now making their way online, Rebel Ridge debuts on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 95% score with 22 reviews. Though this score is sure to fluctuate as more reviews are added, it marks a triumphant return for Saulnier after the more mixed response to Hold the Dark (2018). No Popcornmeter score (previously called the audience score) is available just yet,...

Jeremy Saulnier had a pretty solid three-movie run with Murder Party, Blue Ruin, and Green Room. And while those first two films are great, I think Saulnier surprised everyone with Green Room to such an extent that watching clips of that film befuddles people till this day. I mean, in 2015, Patrick Stewart was Professor Xavier to a lot of us who were still teenagers. So, seeing him as the leader of a group of neo-Nazis was nothing short of a shocker. And while the performances from Alia Shawkat and the late Anton Yelchin were expected, the grit shown by Imogen Poots, Callum Turner, and Joe Cole was stunning. On top of that, the claustrophobia of that one-location setting made for a nerve-wracking visual experience. So, the expectations from Saulnier’s fourth feature film, Hold the Dark, were through the roof. Sadly, the results were not satisfactory. Now, he is back with Rebel Ridge,...

Plot: A former marine (Aaron Pierre) takes on the corrupt police force of a small town.

Review: Jeremy Saulnier has always struck me as a talent to watch. From his small-scale debut, Blue Ruin, to his genre breakthrough, Green Room, he’s always had a talent for mixing bone-crunching violence with a surprising amount of soulfulness. While I thought his last film, Hold The Dark, was a mixed bag, it had one incredible shoot-out about mid-way through the movie that made me think that Saulnier, should he ever go that route, would make one heck of a legit action film.

Lucky for us, he went that route.

Rebel Ridge is probably Saulnier’s most conventional and accessible film to date, but it also ranks as one of the most entertaining films Netflix, which is dropping the film this week, has made in some time. Gorgeously shot and featuring a breakout...

Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier’s crackerjack combo of action thriller and social drama is one of the year’s most undeniably entertaining films

The worst thing about Netflix’s mysteriously dumped thriller Rebel Ridge is its abysmally generic title. Sounding like some anonymous action slop that might star a lesser-known Hemsworth, one might expect that, along with a brawn over brains trailer and a barely existent PR campaign, it’s yet another one of the streamer’s low-impact time-erasers. But there’s far more here to chew on, a full three-course meal cropping up on a platform that usually distracts us with snacks, and one of the most damning arguments to be made against a film-maker of note partnering with them, a movie that deserved the very most somehow saddled with the very least.

Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier, who broke out with Blue Ruin and then the magnificently gnarly Green Room,...

Youd be hard-pressed this year to find a movie thats as lean and mean as Jeremy Saulniers Rebel Ridge. A thriller thats 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 directors 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 isnt 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. Its the type of scrappy though still solid film that feels like it would play perfectly in a theater, which makes it a shame that its being dropped on Netflix rather unceremoniously during the week of the Toronto...

A ruthlessly efficient thriller fueled by boiling rage, Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge wastes no time setting the stakes. Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is listening to metal music on his headphones, biking into the fictional small town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana, when a police cruiser crashes into him, forcing a tumble to the ground. He sold his car and a stake in a restaurant he had. With the resulting $36K in cash, he was on his way to bail out a cousin incarcerated for possession of marijuana. From the police’s point of view, he had been evading arrest over the two miles they’d tailed him. Despite only giving him a traffic violation, they enact civil asset forfeiture, seizing all of his cash under the suspicion it may be drug money. This sets the mysterious, resourceful, strong-willed Terry on a mission of combating this police corruption and overreach by...

If you want a high-velocity, muscular, and sharply tense dramatic thriller, which also doubles as a penetrating action film, more or less, in the parlance of the kids, we are so back. Or rather, the acclaimed indie director Jeremy Saulnier has finally returned with his long-awaited fifth feature film and, more importantly, returns to form after the minor misstep of 2019’s “Hold the Dark.” His best film since “Green Room,” and nearly as gripping, anxiety-inducing, and visceral, Saulnier’s “Rebel Ridge” is a no-fuss, no-muss dynamic action thriller.

Continue reading ‘Rebel Ridge’ Review: Jeremy Saulnier’s Fierce Acab Thriller Is An Intense Showcase For Aaron Pierre at The Playlist.

Throughout his series of 21st-century suspense pictures, director Jeremy Saulnier has figured out a number of ways to tighten the screws on his characters and his audience: forcing regular folks to face down horrific violence, stranding characters in the unnerving quiet of American backwoods, exploring and exposing the impractical messiness of revenge.

A big-screen adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian sci-fi novel Uglies; Emily in Paris becoming Emily in Rome; Jeremy Saulnier’s latest genre piece; the latest installment of Ryan Murphy’s grisly crime anthology series; Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne playing sisters in a critically acclaimed family drama; and rom-com series toplined by the charming coupling of Kristen Bell and Adam Brody are some of the highlights among the new films and series hitting Netflix in September.

Buzzy filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier releases his latest feature, Rebel Ridge, on Netflix on Sept. 6. The action film stars up-and-coming Brit actor Aaron Pierre as a man who comes to a small town to bail out his cousin, but has his money seized by a corrupt local police force led by Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). He is then forced to use his skills to retrieve the money and exact revenge. Saulnier...

For Jeremy Saulnier, all’s well that ends well.

After releasing Hold the Dark in late 2018, Saulnier wasted no time putting together his follow-up Netflix film, Rebel Ridge, in late 2019. But then the pandemic had its way with his April 2020 production schedule, delaying the film’s principal photography until the following spring. However, the once-a-century pandemic turned out to be just the the first of several obstacles, as former lead actor John Boyega abruptly exited the thriller just a month into 2021’s production due to “family reasons.”

Rebel Ridge’s standstill was a frustrating setback for a filmmaker who’d been gaining more and more momentum since relaunching his directorial career with the critically acclaimed Blue Ruin at Cannes in 2013. His third feature film, Green Room (2015), received equal praise, putting Saulnier alongside Jeff Nichols in terms of the next great American filmmakers. (Oddly enough, Nichols also endured lengthy misfortune en...

Netflix could have another major action thriller hit on their hands, as critics rave about director Jeremy Saulniers Rebel Ridge. The filmmaker is known for crafting critically acclaimed tales that delve into the darkness thanks to the likes of 2013s revenge thriller Blue Ruin, the horror outing Green Room in 2015, and 2018s action thriller Hold the Dark (which was also released by Netflix) and it sounds like Saulnier has reached these heights once again with Rebel Ridge.

The first reactions to Rebel Ridge have now started to emerge on social media, with IndieWires David Ehrlich heaping praise on Saulniers direction and lead star Aaron Pierre, who he calls a major star in the making.

Rebel Ridge absolutely rules (Jeremy Saulniers best since Blue Ruin imho), Aaron Pierre is a *major* star in the making, and the people who denied this awesome movie a proper theatrical run should probably be arrested...

With the summer movie season now quietly winding down, fall is upon us. As we do each year, after highlighting the best films offered thus far, we’ve set out to provide an overview of the titles that should be on your radar.

Featuring 40 films, the below preview includes both the best we’ve already seen (with full reviews where available) and the anticipated with (mostly) confirmed release dates over the next four months. A good amount will premiere these next few weeks at Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, so check back for our reviews. Dates below are theatrical releases unless otherwise noted.

For more, explore our 20 most-anticipated films premiering at fall festivals that currently don’t have a fall release date confirmed.

Rebel Ridge (Jeremy Saulnier; Sept. 6 on Netflix)

A ruthlessly efficient thriller fueled by boiling rage, Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge wastes no time setting the stakes. Terry Richmond...

Ah, the fall. In the words of the great philosopher Calvin, "Bugs are dying by the truckload! Ha ha ha! Good riddance to 'em all!" We've still a few weeks left of summer on the calendar, but the days are already getting shorter and dead, crunchy leaves have suddenly begun turning up in my backyard. More relevant to this discussion, it's that time of year when Netflix's original slate typically becomes a whole lot more interesting. This is when the streamer starts rolling out the awards season hopefuls it acquired at film festivals earlier in the year, along with some of its more niche genre films and TV series.

Whatever you flavor is -- whether you're in the mood to traumatize yourself by viewing Studio Ghibli's harrowing animated masterpiece "Grave of the Fireflies" or hate-watch the second half of "Emily in Paris" season 4 or the new season of...

Exclusive: Jeremy Saulnier has signed with Grandview for representation.

Saulnier, whose credits include directing the first two episodes of True Detective Season 3 and features including Green Room, currently serves as director, writer, producer, and editor on the feature film Rebel Ridge, starring Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb and Don Johnson. The high-velocity thriller follows a former Marine as he grapples his way through a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with the local police chief.

Netflix will release the film worldwide September 6.

Saulnier made his feature directorial debut with Murder Party, which received rave reviews and won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival. In 2013, he wrote and directed Blue Ruin, which won the Fipresci Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Rebel Ridge. (L-r) Don Johnson as Chief Sandy Burnne and Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond in Rebel Ridge. Cr. Allyson Riggs/Netflix © 2024.

Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) 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 (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) 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.

Rebel Ridge, the next film by Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room), comes to Netflix September 6th.

Heads up, folks: One of the best trailers of 2024 has just dropped.

Jeremy Saulnier, the writer/director behind films like "Green Room" and "Blue Ruin," has returned with "Rebel Ridge," a movie about a guy who is trying to bail his cousin out of jail, but whose life savings is unjustly taken from him by small-town police officers who seem to operate with impunity. After calmly explaining his case and trying to get his money back, the man takes things into his own hands -- and that's when the cops realize they've made a huge mistake: The dude they're harassing used to be a Marine, and he has no intention of meekly putting his tail between his legs and slinking away from this situation. Quite the opposite, actually: The guy becomes a one-man wrecking crew hellbent on justice, and he's going to make them regret ever messing with him in the first place.

Jeremy Saulnier brings his signature brutality to the new trailer for Rebel Ridge from Netflix. The film looks to follow in the vein of First Blood and the Reacher series and stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, and James Cromwell.

The film being described as a “high-velocity thriller that explores systemic American injustices through bone-breaking action sequences, suspense, and dark humor.” Now we finally know what it’s about, as Netflix has provided a synopsis: Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) 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 (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally...

"What if we just walk away? But then I was like, 'Nah...'" Netflix has revealed the first official trailer for Rebel Ridge, an intense action thriller film set for release in September streaming on Netflix. Alas this one is skipping festivals & theaters entirely. Rebel Ridge is the latest from acclaimed director Jeremy Saulnier, known for his indie hits Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Green Room, and Hold the Dark previously. In this new one, an ex-Marine grapples his way through a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with the local police chief. Bring it on, Saulnier. A "deeply human yet high-velocity thriller that explores corruption and morality in the context of bone-breaking action and ever-coiling suspense." Hell yes! Starring Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, with Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee,...

With the dark thrillers “Blue Ruin” (2013) and “Green Room” (2015), filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier instantly put himself on the map as an indie darling filmmaker to watch. “Hold the Dark” came in 2018, but it’s been six years between movies. His latest, the long-awaited crime thriller “Rebel Ridge,” finally hits Netflix this September.

The thriller centers on an ex-Marine grappling with a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with the local police chief.

Continue reading ‘Rebel Ridge’ Trailer: Jeremy Saulnier’s Long-Awaited Thriller With Aaron Pierre Arrives September 6 at The Playlist.