Netflix’s new action thriller Rebel Ridge has garnered appreciation from audiences and critics alike since its release on September 6, 2024. Written, edited, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier, the film follows ex-Marine serviceman Terry Richmond, played by Aaron Pierre.
Terry is a man who tries to lead a simple life while working at a Chinese restaurant. While he’s on his way to Shelby Springs one day to pay the bail for his cousin Mike, he’s stopped by police officers. The officers grab his money without evidence of criminal activity, unleashing a chain of events disrupting his seemingly regular life.
After the incident, Terry tries to retrieve his money as it is the only way to get his cousin out of the legal trouble. However, with the help of his friend, Summer (a court clerk), he soon discovers that this is not an isolated incident but a long-knit conspiracy brewing in the fictional small town of Shelby Springs.
But what is the exact nature and extent of this conspiracy, and what does Mike have to do with any of it? Join us with the in-depth exploration of the ending for Rebel Ridge and what exactly happened to some of the central characters in the climax.
Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead.
What happened at the end of Rebel Ridge?
After Mike's death, Terry and Summer attempt to get into the depths of the matter. They both get to know that the Shelby Springs PD arrests civilians on charges of misdemeanors, and they post a high amount of bail. This, in turn, leads families and friends to arrive at the town with a significant amount of money.
The police officers then arrest them and take the cash under the grounds of “civil asset forfeiture law” and use it to fund the police force and keep taxes low. The dashcam footage has potentially destructive video evidence of this act, and some of them are kept at a courthouse on SD cards and hard drives.
During the film's climax, Terry and Summer get hold of SD cards and hard drives by breaking into the courthouse. However, an officer captures Summer during the mission. Terry negotiates with the police by offering them an exchange of the hard drives for Summer’s return.
However, Terry tricks the cops. He goes to the police station instead of the drop-off point, where he debilitates Sheriff Sandy and gives Officer Jessica Sims both the SD cards and hard drive.
What happens to Jessica Sims in Rebel Ridge?
Terry trusts Jessica to do the right thing when necessary, as he assumes that she is Summer’s friend inside the system, giving her the codename “Serpico.” Terry tells Sims to release the dashcam footage after he is inevitably put into prison.
However, in a cruel twist, Officer Sims double-crosses Terry, destroying the SD cards and hard drives. Terry finds himself in a near-death scenario, with a bunch of armed cops surrounding him, ready to kill.
At this moment, an officer from the opening sequence of the film, Officer Evan, objects to the injustice, saying that it is ethically and morally wrong for the police to shoot him. This triggers the Sheriff, and he shoots Officer Evan, the actual Serpico, which unleashes a brutal and chaotic fight.
Amidst the chaos, the injured officer tells Terry about the activation of the dashcam by turning on the lights of the police cruiser. It is revealed that the cameras had started recording the brutality three minutes before, suggesting that now they have the footage of the Sheriff shooting his subordinate officer.
This leads to Terry, Summer, and Evan fleeing in a police vehicle towards a nearby hospital while the entire police force is now on their trail. A climactic high-octane car chase sequence follows, during which the cops shoot one of the tires of Terry’s vehicle. This slows them down, and the cops eventually catch up with them.
However, in another shocking turn of events, Officer Jessica is revealed to be a good person, and she arrests the Sheriff while crashing his vehicle off the road.
Terry drives away with his car, and the officers escort them to the nearby hospital. Later, Terry recovers the footage from the dash cam, and the film ends.
What happens to the Sheriff and Terry at the end of the Rebel Ridge?
Although the change of allegiance for the officers in charge happens quickly in the film, it is probably driven by one of two possibilities. One is to spare their association with the Sheriff and the complex web of corruption. The other can be their sudden retrieval of moral conscience, which was further triggered by the cold-blooded shooting of their colleague by their chief.
However, the ending makes it safe to assume that the Sheriff will bear the consequences for his vile deeds after his arrest, and Shelby Springs will hopefully be devoid of corruption in the coming days.
As far as Terry is concerned, the climax does not fully reveal whether he will be charged for his crimes or go scot-free, which is left for viewer speculation.
Rebel Ridge is now streaming on Netflix.
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