Rebel Ridge on Netflix doesn’t feel like the kind of movie that the streamer would outright promote on its multiple social media platforms. It’s not the usual cheesy trap or random action movie that usually works with its audiences. So director Jeremy Saulnier should be lauded for making a not-so-typical Netflix movie and giving it the kind of ticking-bomb energy that wouldn’t allow the ones watching it to think of anything else.
Starring Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, an ex-marine who finds himself entangled in a corrupt system in the town of Shelby Springs. Terry’s journey becomes one of survival and justice as he tries to post bail for his cousin Mike, whose life is at risk due to his history with drug lords. With a ticking clock and escalating stakes, Terry is forced to use his military skills, though Saulnier’s portrayal of him is refreshingly restrained. Instead of diving headfirst into violence, Terry seeks de-escalation at every opportunity, a nuanced subversion of the typical action hero.
If you have found the use of not-so-typical elements about a central action hero in a movie, here are six other movies that you might wanna check out if you liked Rebel Ridge on Netflix.
1. First Blood (1982)
Everyone’s heard of First Blood (1982) starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran struggling with PTSD. And I’m sure everyone who watches Rebel Ridge on Netflix can see why you will find Rambo in a list of movies like it.
To refresh your memory, When Rambo drifts into the small town of Hope, Washington, he’s confronted by Sheriff Will Teasle, who harbors disdain for soldiers of Rambo’s generation. After being mistreated and arrested for vagrancy, Rambo’s survival instincts kick in, leading to an escalating conflict with local law enforcement. Although Rambo initially only defends himself, the mistreatment he suffers forces him to rely on his combat skills.
Much like Rambo, Terry is unfairly targeted by law enforcement—he’s harassed by Officers Marston and Lann, who seize his money through civil asset forfeiture. Just as Rambo’s conflict with Teasle escalates due to the sheriff’s hostility toward veterans, Terry’s situation spirals when he discovers a conspiracy within the police force. Both men are skilled fighters, yet they initially try to avoid unnecessary conflict, highlighting their reluctance to use violence despite being provoked.
2. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Directed by F. Gary Gray, Law Abiding Citizen stars Gerard Butler as Clyde Shelton, a man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the justice system fails him—allowing one of the killers to walk free in exchange for testifying against the other—Clyde takes matters into his own hands. He orchestrates a series of elaborate, violent attacks on those involved in the case, including the criminals, the attorneys, and anyone he deems responsible for the miscarriage of justice. Throughout the movie, Clyde demonstrates his brilliance and meticulous planning, showing how a single man can challenge the entire legal system.
The film finds a place in a list of movies like Netflix’s Rebel Ridge because the two of them highlight the failures of the justice system. In Law Abiding Citizen, Clyde seeks revenge because the system lets one of his family’s killers off with a light sentence, while in Rebel Ridge, Terry Richmond faces corruption within the police department, where his savings are unjustly seized, and he’s subjected to further injustices. Clyde and Terry both become vigilantes in their own right. Clyde meticulously plots his revenge against the individuals who wronged him, while Terry, though not seeking vengeance on the same scale, decides to take justice into his own hands by uncovering a conspiracy within the police force and seeking retribution for his cousin’s death.
3. Out of Furnace (2013)
Out of Furnace revolves around two brothers, Russell Baze (Christian Bale) and Rodney Baze Jr. (Casey Affleck), who live in a struggling steel town in Pennsylvania. Russell works at the local steel mill, living a quiet, hard-working life, while Rodney, a former soldier struggling with PTSD, turns to illegal bare-knuckle fighting to make money after returning from serving in Iraq. When Rodney gets involved with a dangerous crime ring led by a ruthless local gangster, Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson), he mysteriously disappears after one of his fights. Frustrated by the police’s inability to find his brother, Russell takes matters into his own hands and embarks on a dangerous quest for justice.
Both Scott Cooper’s Out of Furnace, and Rebel Ridge on Netflix feature protagonists are forced to take justice into their own hands when they realize that the authorities either cannot or will not help. In Out of the Furnace, Russell seeks revenge for his brother when the police fail to act. At the same time, in Rebel Ridge, Terry Richmond uncovers and battles corruption within a small-town police department after they take his savings and are involved in his cousin’s death.
4. Homefront (2013)
Written by Sylvester Stallone and starring Jason Statham, James Franco, and Winona Ryder, Gary Fleder’s Homefront follows Phil Broker (Jason Statham), a former DEA agent who moves to a small, rural town with his young daughter after a dangerous undercover mission involving a biker gang. Seeking a quieter life, Phil hopes to leave his violent past behind. However, things take a dark turn when his daughter gets into a conflict with a local bully, which draws the attention of the bully’s uncle, Gator Bodine (James Franco), a meth-dealing local criminal.
Both Homefront and Rebel Ridge on Netflix are two movies that are like each other because they are both set in small towns where law enforcement is either absent or corrupt. The protagonists who are forced to take matters into their own hands when the local authorities prove either ineffective or complicit in wrongdoing. In Homefront, Phil Broker has to defend his family from local criminals, and the local sheriff turns a blind eye to Gator’s meth operation, allowing criminal elements to thrive unchecked.
5. Wrath of Man (2021)
Wrath of Man (2021), directed by Guy Ritchie, is a gritty action-thriller starring Jason Statham as H, a mysterious and highly skilled man who starts working for a cash truck company responsible for transporting large amounts of money. The plot unfolds through a non-linear narrative, revealing H’s true motivation for joining the company: he is seeking revenge for the murder of his son, who was killed during a cash truck heist. The movie is marked by its intense action sequences and dark, brooding atmosphere as H methodically tracks down those responsible for his son’s death, blending elements of a revenge thriller with heist dynamics.
Much like Netflix’s Rebel Ridge which stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmon, Jason Statham’s H is depicted as a calm, calculated, and highly skilled individual. Both of them are not reckless but instead use their expertise strategically to dismantle their enemies, often displaying a cold, restrained fury.
