At one point, Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room, Blue Ruin) was one of the most exciting indie filmmakers on the scene. Once upon a time, such an auspicious start to a career would have lent itself to a match in Hollywood, but Saulnier has instead chosen to go straight to streaming action movies. His latest outing, Rebel Ridge, really shows his personality, keeping it from descending to the level of some of the slop we see streaming these days. Still, it doesn't quite match the level of his previous outings, settling for merely entertaining.

Rebel Ridge follows a man who, after a seemingly routine traffic stop, has his money stolen by a group of dirty local cops, sending him into a violent standoff against the corrupt police chief. As you might expect, there's more to the mysterious operator than meets the eye, as his background and incredible skills mean that while he's outnumbered, he's anything but outmatched.

This is the setup of a measly ninety minute thriller stretched out into a film over two hours long. The first and last act of the film are quite convincing, but in the middle third it stops. It's clear that the intention here is to raise the stakes for the protagonist, but the stakes are already established enough in the first act that this is somewhat unnecessary.

Still, several scenes in Rebel Ridge are wonderfully constructed, showcasing the taut filmmaking that made Saulnier such a fan favorite. The opening scene kicks off and immediately draws viewers into the story. Unfortunately, Saulnier struggles to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. A strong break in the second and an explosive finale are also fun, but most of the running time feels disappointingly uninspired.