InRebel Ridge , Shelby Springs ’ police force officers will learn the severe way of life to never mess up with a former Marine on a mission . Terry Richmond ( Aaron Pierre ) , the soldier in interrogation , is cycle into the town to post bail for his full cousin when the cops unfairly attain him from behind and seize his living ’s savings . Terry attempt to cover the criminal offense , but he ’s turned away by the corrupt police top dog , Sandy Burnne ( Don Johnson ) .
drive to take matter into his own hands , Terry find an friend in motor inn salesclerk Summer McBride ( AnnaSophia Robb ) , who offer advice on how to help his first cousin . When the authorities fail him , Terry takes the law into his own hands . Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier , Rebel Ridgeis a grounded thriller that feel like the 1980s and 1990s action movies so many people produce up on . Rebel Ridge’sthemes of unfairness and corruption vibrate with many hoi polloi in this area .
In an interview with Digital Trends , Robb speak about her journeying with the character of Summer , how she used dialogue as a weapon , and her responsibleness to a film that take on serious takings .
notice : This clause has been redact for length and clarity .
Digital Trends : With all the rephrasing and hold , you ’ve been with this character for three years . That ’s such a farsighted clock time . How are you feel , now that it ’s ready to come out ?
AnnaSophia Robb : I’m so thrilled thatRebel Ridgeis come out now , and I ca n’t wait for people to see it . I ’m so proud of it . There are three dissimilar movies that were made . It ’s the one that ’s written , the one that ’s shot , and then the one that in reality do out in the edit . This is the same film all the way through , which is a testament to Jeremy Saulnier , our fantastic author - manager . I stand for , he ’s an auteur filmmaker , and I treasure him so much . I recollect he ’s one of my favorite people I ’ve ever had the privilege of working with .
The script that I read transfixed me . I wanted to make it so badly . And then , when I was able to see the film a couple of week ago , after all this fourth dimension , I feel such immense joy because it was exactly the book that I had read , watch , and act in . I watch Aaron perform all these stunts . It turned out so well . I ’m really proud of what he and everybody made .
I sense like there ’s this shift midway through , where the first one-half is this crook man on a missionary post , and then the 2nd one-half becomes a two - hander with you and Aaron teaming up to harness putrefaction . We see the hand - to - hand natural action . What I find interesting is how the duologue acted like a weapon . I look at your scene with Aaron and James Cromwell . You ’re not hold in a throttle , but everything you say is like a slug to the bureau . Did you have conversations with Aaron and Jeremy about how to weaponize the dialogue and elevate it to another point ?
Thank you so much for ask that question and bespeak that out . I totally agree with you . I think the dialogue in this film is so smart , and it is a weapon . Jeremy was really thoughtful about that because , in this film , even though there are a lot of guns present , our paladin never actually fool away any implements of war , like lively artillery . The way that Jeremy constructs a fit , he uses the Son to uncover , to unveil , to pull back . I think so much of linguistic communication , especially in movies , is filler , and it feel like there is not a waste line in this picture show .
To study a script as an actor and go , “ OK . How do I break this down ? What are all these dissimilar beat points ? How do I take the air into this scene think that I ’m going to turn my back and walk right out , and by the final stage of the scene , I ’ve decided to commit my life to avail this man and put everything on the line ? ” It ’s really about require a microscope at each wrinkle and cipher out what these fictional character are recall . How is Summer weighing the pros and cons ? How is she thinking about her past tense ? How is she thinking about her hereafter ?
Jeremy was supremely helpful . It ’s so natural to him . He ’s created this narration . He have a go at it it back to front , sidewise , upside down . If I had any question or any concerns , like if it did n’t quite make sense to me , he was always right there to go , “ Oh , I ’m thinking this . ” If I had an estimation , he ’d be like , “ Yeah . We can pivot to that . ” He knows the truth point of each reference . I felt that really calmed me as an actor because I knew that I was in serious hands .
And to your point , the vista with James Cromwell , for me , was a heartrending scene . That ’s like a giant breakup view . It ’s a weapon , but it ’s also this massive betrayal . I think of it likeJenga . We have all these edifice blocks . She ’s [ Summer ] starting to pull them all aside , and the construction amply decay . Her worldview to the full fall asunder .
When you put the picture down and say your married woman wanted to watch , I ’m like , “ Whoa . That was the putting to death shot . ”
Yeah , that was the kill guesswork . Yes , exactly . [ laughs ]
When you were cast , you put up anInstagrampost and said that tackling a film likeRebel Ridge , one about systemic injustice , is a privilege you do not take for granted . Although this film is n’t base on a truthful report , it has themes of putrescence and malpractice . Unfortunately , it would n’t surprise anyone to read in the news that something like this happened . As an actor , what is your obligation to a film with these real - life themes ?
I wish more films were made like this . I think when I read this script , I wanted to be part of it so badly . I sleep with fantasy . I raise up in the age ofLord of the Ringsand Harry Potter . However , [ we ’re ] telling report that are very genuine to what ’s happen in real biography . civic asset forfeiture is a material thing that affects a plenty of people . It is wide controversial . That ’s the reason why Jeremy pick this topic . Both sides know and recognise that it ’s a problem .
As an role player , I have the exclusive right of being hurl and tell this story with large film producer and awful actors . I think Aaron is so phenomenally talented , as are David Denman , Don Johnson , James Cromwell , Steve Zissis , Emery Cohen , and Zsane Jhe . Everybody brings their all .
I experience like our province as player is just to tell the taradiddle , [ and ] to separate what is on the Sir Frederick Handley Page in the most truthful , real way . It ’s to do the oeuvre , to train , [ and ] to understand . It ’s to be on the same Sir Frederick Handley Page and get together so that it is n’t a selfish environment . It ’s one of quislingism .
We ’re all pushing this boulder up the mountain and doing our proficient . finally , it ’s a will to Jeremy to craft this film and deliver it . Then , it ’s also really nerveless that Netflix is secernate this narrative and that it ’s going to be on a ball-shaped political program that people are able-bodied to see , not just in America , but all over the world . The biggest honor , for me , is that this is an American story . But I also think it ’s a universal story because it ’s about soul seeing injustice and realise they can choose to do the right thing .
Rebel Ridgeis now onNetflix .