Green Room Director's Action Thriller With 95% On Rotten Tomatoes Tops Netflix Charts

Jeremy Saulnier's latest movie, "Rebel Ridge," just debuted on Netflix — and critics are loving the newest project from the director of "Green Room."

According to FlixPatrol, the movie — which Saulnier wrote and edited as well — has been the most-watched Netflix film in the U.S. since it hit the streamer on September 6, 2024. It also has a pretty astounding Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95% (as of this writing). With Aaron Pierre ("The Underground Railroad," "Old") in the lead role of Marine veteran Terry Richmond — a role that was originally played by "Star Wars" veteran John Boyega until the actor departed due to family commitments — the movie has a pretty impressive cast, with James Cromwell, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Emory Cohen flanking Pierre.

So, what is "Rebel Ridge" about? As the movie begins, Pierre's Terry is heading to post bail for his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc) and plans to buy a truck afterwards so the two can find gainful employment. On his way, he's confronted by two police officers who seize his cash without cause. Things only spiral from there. Not only will law enforcement not assist Terry as he tries to get his money back and help Mike — who, if he's transferred to a state prison, will be in serious danger because he was a double agent for a powerful local gangster — but Terry ends up detained himself. I won't spoil where the movie goes from there, but it's a pretty intense ride, and Pierre is unbelievable in the lead role.

Critics overwhelmingly loved "Rebel Ridge" thanks to Pierre's lead performance and Saulnier's vision. As William Bibbiani wrote in TheWrap, "A film like 'Rebel Ridge' reminds us that you can lose yourself in exciting, engaging, stimulating entertainment while still keeping your brain completely on." So, what else did reviewers say about the film?

The overwhelming consensus from critics, as you can see on the main Rotten Tomatoes page for "Rebel Ridge," is pretty positive: "An intelligent and gripping vehicle for Aaron Pierre's star-making performance, 'Rebel Ridge' lays down the law on its action-thriller contemporaries." It seems like RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico agreed with this assessment, writing, "'Rebel Ridge' is just a reminder of how thrilling it can be to see a genre piece with this level of artistry." Benjamin Lee at The Guardian took his praise even further, writing, "What's so remarkable is just how committed and accomplished [Jeremy] Saulnier is at caring for each strand equally, a full-body workout for us as viewers, pulses racing and brains engaged, a two-hour plus saga that keeps us totally enthralled at every second."

/Film's very own Chris Evangelista also positively reviewed the movie, praising both its star and director: "Because of Pierre's deliberate performance, we can sense the gears turning in his mind. 'Rebel Ridge' perfectly showcases the skills of its director and star. Saulnier is very, very good at what he does, and so is Pierre, and the two of them working together has produced explosive results." Apparently, other critics thought that Pierre was the perfect choice, even though he wasn't initially supposed to play Terry; as Daniel Joyaux wrote for IndieWire, "John Boyega was originally cast as Terry, but Pierre makes the role so thoroughly his own that it's difficult to imagine anyone else pulling it off. He commands the screen with a handsome authority."

Though the reviews for "Rebel Ridge" are overwhelmingly solid, some critics were a little more reserved in their praise. As Slant Magazine writer Justin Clark put it, "Jeremy Saulnier's 'Rebel Ridge' is a race thriller that, up to a point, is as effective as they come." Nick Schager at The Daily Beast also didn't unequivocally praise the film, writing, "Doesn't ultimately put its star through the slam-bang paces often enough, but as a human weapon pushed to the limit, the actor proves ideally fit for such rugged genre environs." 

Variety's Todd Gilchrist also felt a little torn over the movie, saying, "If racial politics prompt Saulnier to treat him marginally more thoughtfully than most movie veterans, the filmmaker's obligations to genre formula end up overshadowing those differences by the time the last empty, explosive action sequence has unfolded." Meanwhile, one of the only "rotten" reviews so far came from The Hollywood Reporter; as Caryn James wrote in her review, "'Rebel Ridge' manages to hit the low bar of being competent and watchable. It does have a very appealing look [...] along with some beautiful wide views of the orange-tinged horizon. Unfortunately, the film itself is as flat at that horizon line."

You'll have to decide whether or not "Rebel Ridge" is just okay or absolutely amazing for yourself, but you can go into it knowing that critics had a lot of good things to say about the movie. It's streaming on Netflix now.