I saw a movie I've never heard of called Rebel Ridge getting excellent reviews, which is pretty unusual for a Netflix original action thriller. I then discovered it's from Jeremy Saulnier, the same director films like Blue Ruin and the Green Room. I rather enjoyed both of those, so I checked it out, and its pretty damn good, my favorite from Saulnier to date.

The film is about a former marine who comes to a small town and is quickly swept up in a police corruption conspiracy. The story comes across as some combination of a Jack Reacher story and First Blood. This is the first I've seen of lead actor Aaron Pierre, who terrifically portrays a stoic, no-nonsense military type. The film suffers a little in the third act with some shifting allegiances and a resolution that comes a little too quickly, but it doesn't come anywhere close to ruining the story. There's a decent amount of action that nobody is going to compare to the likes of John Wick, but with the strong performances, story beats, and some brilliantly executed set-ups and pay-offs, everything comes together for a very exciting experience.

I recommend everyone check it out so hopefully Netflix makes more well-crafted action flicks like this, and less slop like the Gray Man, and the Adam Project, and the Old Guard, and Bright, and Kate, and GOOD GOD NETFLIX HOW HAVE YOU NOT GONE UNDER?!