Rebel Ridge director Jeremy Saulnier addresses whether the movie is based on a true story. Saulnier’s latest Netflix production stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who gets pulled over by the police and has his money seized from him despite being legitimately owned by him. A confrontation begins between the Marine officer and the police department, overseen by Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), who secretly leads a corrupt operation.
Speaking with Netflix’s TUDUM in the wake of the film’s release, Saulnier clarifies if the movie is indeed based on a true story. Stating that it is not, the filmmaker also says that some aspects could certainly occur in real life, including how corrupt systems persist in our society. Check out what he said on the matter below:
This film is not based on a particular incident, but elements of it could certainly happen. I’m interested in examining corrupt systems — not so much how they’re built, but how they persist. For this movie, I wanted to tap into how the rest of us react to said [corrupt] systems, from corrupt politicians down to the endless loop of a customer service call gone wrong.
How Rebel Ridge Showcases Corruption
Terry Richmond Takes Matters In His Own Hands
The core of Rebel Ridge‘s story examines the corrupt systems in power and how they can get away with evading the law for so long. Terry has his cash seized by the police in a civil asset forfeiture, which is a legitimate legal framework that allows the police to take away his money. Terry has to go to the courthouse to get his money back, but the process can take so long that he will likely never see it again.
When Terry realizes something is off, he decides to elevate his plan and take matters into his own hands. This comes after Burnne lies to Terry that he will be able to see his cousin before he gets transferred to another prison. But the tension is further elevated after his cousin gets killed, to which he repeatedly warns the officers that it will happen.
John Boyega was initially cast as Terry Richmond in Rebel Ridge but left the project a month after filming began. He was replaced by Aaron Pierre.
When legal clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) is framed by the police for using drugs, Terry realizes he can’t leave Shelby Springs and is now intent on bringing Burnne’s operation down. He does so without firing any weapon, knowing that justice will ultimately prevail, even if Sandy’s department has many bad eggs. Rebel Ridge showcases this emotional journey head-on, as Terry does what he thinks is right to ensure Sandy will never swindle anyone again.
Source: TUDUM
