This summer was a season to remember for the film community. Film after film was released, box office records were broken and people swarmed the movie theaters, eager to watch the sequels of their favorite childhood films, like Inside Out 2, or simply to see a shirtless Hugh Jackman. This summer served as our yearly reminder that film is not dead, no matter what Variety says.
But summer has passed and fall is in the air. And for those who don’t know, fall is the time of the year where you start texting multiple people to see if there are literally any new movies coming out. It’s the time of the year where your local movie theater starts rolling out reruns and hoping for the best. After days of relentless searching, Netflix has answered all of our prayers.
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge tells the story of Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a retired African American Marine who is on the way to bail his cousin out of jail when the police stop him and seize his money. Enraged by the injustice, he plots revenge to recover his money and free his cousin. The movie turns into a back and forth between Richmond and the police, and is filled with thrilling action and timely topics.
Politics is continuously at the forefront of American news. In response, film studios have decreased production of political films. Facing pressure from large political entities, films commenting on current politics are receiving fewer offers from major studios. Far from hesitant, Rebel Ridge diverges from the idea that movies should be an escape and forces the viewer to face the realities plaguing many Americans today.
Saulnier doesn’t shy away from this task — he addresses it from the very first scene of the film. We initially see Richmond riding his bike while listening to heavy metallic rock. He’s so distracted by the music that he doesn’t notice a patrol car following him. To get his attention, the policeman hits Richmond with his car, pushing him off the side of the road and injuring him.
And how do the officers proceed? They pull out their guns and threaten to shoot him. They handcuff him, put him in a police car and take his money from his backpack, claiming they have “reasonable suspicion” the money was being used in drug activity. Richmond, scared of being hurt or killed, cordially thanks the officers as they drive away with his money and any hope of bailing his cousin out of jail.
Police violence isn’t fiction; recent events and social movements have revealed as much. Black Americans are twice as likely to be shot and killed by police. Recent movements such as Black Lives Matter have highlighted the unfair ways in which people of color (POC) are treated by law enforcement. From Breonna Taylor to Sonya Massey, we have been shown time and time again how unrecognized bias and years of institutionalized racism threaten the lives of POC around the country.
This discrimination is portrayed in smaller ways throughout the film, from the way that Richmond is continually asked by police if he either possesses or has ingested hard drugs to the fact that officers unlatch their guns every time they approach him. The film uses subtle details to highlight the strong biases law enforcement officers hold when interacting with POC.
Rebel Ridge’s main aim seems to be addressing police corruption. And, in doing so, the film makes it clear that the police are the antagonists of the story. By the third act, law enforcement have become so corrupt that it becomes second nature to associate every officer with institutional corruption. All of the cops muddle together into the bad guys, but the movie tries to redeem itself during the last five minutes by attempting to convince us that maybe cops aren’t all that bad.
Needless to say, this attempt falls short. The basic story building principles that there are bad guys and good guys is as old as time. But times have changed and people have as well, so stories that deal with complex situations cannot be taken that simply. The quick pivot from ‘cops are bad’ to ‘they’re our salvation’ leaves a strange aftertaste following the hour and a half of being convinced of the contrary.
The film works against itself, which makes me wonder if showing police corruption and the unfair treatment of POC was its main aim at all. At its core it appears this film is focused on what it’s always been: an action film. To add to the realism and facilitate the action, they portray the experiences of a black man in America without going much further. The action is prominent and fleshed out, while other aspects such as police corruption and discrimination have been added as a means of achieving the highest level of realism possible.
This movie is not on the short list of any Oscar, but it shows the film industry is making its way back into politics. It's taking film back to what art truly is: a way to provoke thought and provide timely challenges to audiences’ notions about the real world — and Rebel Ridge might indicate an end to our recent ignorant slumber.
