Early Reactions for Jeremy Saulnier's ‘Rebel Ridge' Are Very Good [Updated]

UPDATE: IndieWire’s David Ehrlich is also raving about “Rebel Ridge.”

Rebel Ridge absolutely rules (Jeremy Saulnier’s 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 by the members of a corrupt southern police force.

More raves from Barry Hertz, Matt Neglia,. Jesse Hassenger, and others.

EARLIER: Hard to believe, but we’re only a week away from Jeremy Saulnier’s much-delayed “Rebel Ridge” hitting Netflix. That’s right, it won’t be getting theatrical release. A few public screenings for the film occurred in L.A. and New York on Monday evening. Here’s a reaction …

Saw this last night. It's “First Blood” meets “Cop Land”. Not nearly as bloody or graphic as Saulnier's previous movies (by design), but definitely a level up from “Hold the Dark” and a huge leap forward for him creatively. Above all, this is a star-making vehicle for Aaron Pierre, who is flat-out incredible. After seeing the movie, I cannot imagine that John Boyega would have been up to the task at all, considering the amount of physicality Pierre brings.

“Rebel Ridge” is the tale of an ex-marine who takes on a group of dirty cops in a high-velocity thriller exploring systemic injustices through bone-breaking action sequences, suspense, and dark humor.

This has me absolutely intrigued, and I’m glad the film is getting good notices. Saulnier’s filmography includes 2014’s “Blue Ruin” and 2016’s “Green Room” — both strong films and detailed with the kind of visceral violence that makes you feel every gunshot, every stabbing and every punch. His last film, 2019’s “Hold the Dark,” was also his weakest, but I still found it watchable and atmospheric, if a tad overlong.

Netflix is supposed to send me a “Rebel Ridge” screener by the end of the week, but I don’t believe the review embargo for this one will lift until the day it’s available to stream on Netflix (September 6). By all accounts, Netflix is burying the film.

“Rebel Ridge,” Saulnier’s first film in over five years, has had a tumultuous journey. This is the infamous film that had, original lead actor, John Boyega abruptly walking out of the set in 2021, under controversial circumstances. Boyega was soon replaced with Aaron Pierre, and filming resumed in early 2022. The cast is now composed of Pierre, Don Johnson, James Badge Dale, James Cromwell, Anna Sophia, and Robb Emory Cohen.

Saulnier recently spoke, for the first time, about the chaotic experience of shooting “Rebel Ridge”. Speaking to Film Stories, Saulnier described the making of “Rebel Ridge” as “tumultuous.”

“We came back three years in a row to make that movie,” he told the outlet.

Saulnier says the budget of the film ballooned from the originally reported $25 million to around $40 million. It’s become the biggest undertaking of his career. Filming on “Rebel Ridge” wrapped in July 2022, with Saulnier announcing the completion of the film on Twitter/X; “Third time was indeed the charm,” he wrote at the time.