Netflix's new number one movie is an unmissable action thrill ride

One of our most anticipated Netflix movies has shot right to the top of the global charts.

It’s Rebel Ridge, the latest thriller from Jeremy Saulnier, the writer-director best known for Blue Ruin and Green Room.

This latest movie conjures a similar sense of nerve-shredding tension as those modern cult classics too.

Aaron Pierre stars as Terry Richmond, a man who finds himself facing off a corrupt police chief in small town America when he tries to bail his cousin out of jail.

Don Johnson plays chief Sandy Burnne, in what is likely his strongest movie since 2019’s Knives Out.

Rebel Ridge has hit big across the world, going by Flixpatrol’s initial figures, which place it at the top chart position for Netflix movies in 88 countries.

Anyone who has checked up on some of Netflix’s biggest ever streaming hits knows there’s not much of a correlation between popularity and quality. But Rebel Ridge is a hit on both fronts.

As we reported last week, the film has an excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95%, with critics praising Aaron Pierre’s performance and Saulnier's effective thriller chops.

The Guardian’s 4/5 reviews says director Saulnier “squeezes in more clammy suspense than most thrillers I’ve seen in the past year. There’s such electricity to Rebel Ridge – I just hope enough people get the chance to feel it.”

It’s reassuring to see Rebel Ridge come out of the gate so strong, when it does not have the least troubled production history.

John Boyega was originally cast in the Aaron Pierre role, before leaving (reportedly mid-shoot) in 2021, citing “family reasons.”

Re-shoots also saw the budget jump from $25 million to $40 million, although that’s still something of a bargain considering modern film budgets. It was also due to begin production in 2019, before being delayed by the pandemic.

Despite having no box office numbers to boast about, Rebel Ridge looks to be Saulnier’s biggest hit to date. His last movie was 2018’s Hold the Dark, an ambitious but generally less praised film than Rebel Ridge.

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