Trailer for “Rebel Ridge”: Take a look at the Netflix film
Aaron Pierre plays an ex-Marine who clashes with a corrupt police chief (Don Johnson) in the Netflix action thriller “Rebel Ridge.”
In the new Netflix action thriller “Rebel Ridge,” Don Johnson deviates far from the heroic characters Sonny Crockett and Nash Bridges and instead embodies a hostile and antagonistic small-town cop.
“Without giving too much away, this film is about something much bigger, and that was part of its appeal for me,” says the former “Miami Vice” star.
“Rebel Ridge” (September 6 on Netflix) was written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”). Aaron Pierre plays ex-Marine Terry Richmond. He comes to Shelby Strings to post bail for his cousin when Terry’s life savings are confiscated by corrupt cops led by local police chief Sandy Burnne (Johnson). The former soldier uncovers a conspiracy and, although he has never seen combat, still wages a one-man war against injustice. USATODAY.com is showing the first trailer for the hard-hitting drama, which also stars AnnaSophia Robb and Emory Cohen.
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Pierre’s action scenes also allowed the British actor – who plays the title character of Disney’s upcoming “Mufasa: The Lion King” – to draw on his knowledge of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing, which gave the character a certain composure. “The physical, mental and emotional components are a big part of who I am now and that training has been good for me,” Pierre says.
To play the antagonistic lawman, he did “deep character work, because there are other things happening, but as an audience you don’t always know what they are,” Johnson says.
Terry and Sandy engage in heated verbal exchanges, and Johnson found the “charged interactions almost conversational.” Between takes, Pierre says, he sat with Johnson and talked about the scene, “but also about life and how to best navigate this journey. We built real trust and immersed ourselves in the scene.”
Saulnier calls Rebel Ridge a “throwback.” Walking Tall and Billy Jack influenced the tone, and Clint Eastwood’s The Man With No Name and Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley influenced the characters. The biggest inspiration, however, was Rambo, as the film is “hyper-grounded and raw, and rooted in a simple but utterly compelling human experience.”
Rebel Ridge also gave Saulnier the opportunity to examine corrupt systems and see how they are designed to absolve key figures of responsibility.
“It’s not just about evil corporate bosses or corrupt officials, I’m tapping into the everyday anger we all experience when dealing with a never-ending customer service call or the overwhelming bureaucracy of contesting a parking ticket,” says the director. “The smallest things can provoke the biggest reactions. But Terry doesn’t have the luxury of anger, he has to play by the rules and we walk that path with him and cheer him on. That’s something new for me. I’ve never written a traditional hero role with so much charisma and competence that you want to see win.
“I’m not necessarily saying it’s a feel-good film, but so far it’s getting people out of their seats. And that’s good for me.”
