Terry Richmond, a former Marine, encounters trouble when he tries to bail his cousin out of jail in the small town of Shelby Springs. In Rebel Ridge, Aaron Pierre plays Terry.
Terry’s cousin, Mike, is arrested on a misdemeanor possession charge, with his bail set at an unusually high $10,000.
To raise the money, Terry sells his car and his stake in a restaurant owned by Mr. Liu, planning to use the remaining money to buy a truck.
However, before Terry can reach the Town Hall to post bail, he is hit by a police car and wrongfully detained for traffic violations.
The officers search his belongings and seize the cash he was carrying, suspecting it to be drug money. Terry can fight for the money, but it will take him over a year to get it back and cost him more than it is worth.
Terry’s struggle to rescue Mike
Terry finds out that Mike is being transferred to state prison, where his life will be at risk. Terry must post bail before the transfer.
Terry is a peaceful man, so he first tries to make a deal with Police Chief Sandy Burnne, asking for just the bail amount and offering to let the department keep the rest.
Burnne misleads Terry, and Mike is transferred before the bail can be posted. Furthermore, the chief keeps antagonizing him, even raiding Mr. Liu’s restaurant.
He underestimates Terry’s abilities because he knows that Terry did not serve overseas, unaware that Terry was an instructor in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
Burnne soon learns his mistake when Terry takes him and others at the station hostage. Terry is desperate for the money, so he forces the police at gunpoint to give him the bail money.
With the help of Summer, a woman who has been assisting him since his money was seized, Terry posts Mike’s bail. However, Terry is too late; Mike has already been transferred and killed in prison.
Burnne, realizing that he should have listened to Terry, returns Terry’s money and buys him the truck he wanted. Additionally, he decides not to charge Terry for taking him hostage.
Pushed to the edge
Burnne asks Terry to leave town for good, threatening to arrest him if he returns. Terry, who has been trained to prioritize self-preservation, not only accepts the offer but is also grateful for it.
Summer urges him to stay and help her uncover Burnne’s corruption, especially now that it seems Mike was set up, but Terry refuses, unwilling to risk further trouble.
However, when Burnne’s men attack Summer that same night, Terry is forced to return. Burnne’s men then attempt to kill him, resulting in Terry teaming up with Summer to expose the truth.
He gives his remaining money to Mr. Liu, who continues to help him despite suffering financial losses due to his association with Terry.
Terry is now determined to avenge Mike’s death. With Summer, he plans to steal dashcam footage that proves Mike’s wrongful arrest.
While they manage to retrieve the footage, Terry places his trust in the wrong person—Jessica, whom he believes to be Summer’s ally.
As a result, Jessica betrays him, and the evidence is destroyed. Fortunately, Officer Marston saves Terry’s life and, following Marston’s advice, Terry is able to gather new evidence against Burnne.
With Burnne’s own officers turning against him, Terry is able to get away with Summer and Marston, who are then taken to the hospital.
In the end, Terry is seen keeping the recorder, which contains the damning evidence against Burnne, close to him, unwilling to trust anyone else with it.
Also Read: Rebel Ridge recap and ending explained
