Stephen King has big praise for new Netflix original with a great Rotten Tomatoes score

Don Johnson and Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge
(Image credit: Netflix)

The King of Twitter movie reviews Stephen King is back at it again but, this time, the legendary author has high praise for a Netflix original that has turned out to be a surprise hit. 

"Rebel Ridge: If this is a Netflix original, it's one of the best," posted King on Twitter of Netflix’s new movie Rebel Ridge. The writer then went on to compare it to iconic '80s action franchise Rambo, but for the "thinking man." Is that King firing shots? See the full tweet below. 

Starring Aaron Pierre as ex-marine Terry Richmond and Miami Vice’s Don Johnson as the local police chief, Rebel Ridge follows one man’s return to his hometown to post bail for his cousin, only to find it mired in corruption. The flick also stars Soul Surfer’s Anna Sophia Robb as a court clerk who quickly becomes Terry’s ally.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads: "When Terry’s life’s savings is unjustly seized by law enforcement, he’s forced to go head to head with local police chief Sandy Burnne and his combat-ready officers. As the stakes turn deadly, Terry must call upon his mysterious background to break the department’s hold on the community, and bring justice to his own family."

It is clear where King is getting the Rambo comparison from, as the first Rambo movie titled First Blood saw Sylvester Stallone play a war veteran who returns to his hometown only to get on the wrong side of the small town’s cruel sheriff. But it's not just King who is loving the new flick, as Rebel Ridge has managed to stir up a highly impressive 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it "one of the best films of the year so far."

The high-action movie is also making waves on the streamer as the action thriller currently stands at number 1 on Netflix’s top 10 English language movies chart after being released on September 6, according to Tudum. What's more, after being on the streamer for just two days, Rebel Ridge managed to stir up 31.2 million views.

Rebel Ridge is directed by Green Room’s Jeremy Saulnier. The cast also includes David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, and James Cromwell.

Rebel Ridge is available to stream on Netflix now. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix movies, or keep up to date with upcoming movies heading your way.

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

Read more
Rebel Ridge
The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
Taron Egerton in Carry-On
Netflix's new number 1 movie may be a Christmas thriller, but it's still topping the streamer's charts after the holidays
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher season 3
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (Feb 21 - 23)
Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx, and John Boyega in They Cloned Tyrone
The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
Alan Ritchson as Reacher in Reacher season 3
Reacher season 3 review: "Alan Ritchson's hero still rules as we get the best season yet"
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in The Night Agent season 2
Despite a divisive Rotten Tomatoes score, one of Netflix's most watched shows of all time The Night Agent hits the #1 spot with second season
Latest in Action Movies
Bullet Train Explosion on Netflix
Upcoming Netflix movie is like the Speed sequel we never got, and it’s coming next month
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame
The Russo brothers have an idea about Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars runtimes, and one might reach Avengers: Endgame's record
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Fantastic Four: First Steps concept art contains an unexpected MCU Easter Egg that could change the Marvel movie completely
Bloodsport
The 32 greatest '80s action movies
Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Marvel star Vin Diesel might be teasing a Groot movie: "Disney wants their Planet X!"
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in The Batman
Robert Pattinson worries he will be a "f*cking old Batman" by the time filming on The Batman 2 finally starts
Latest in News
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"
The Last of Us season 2 first look
Pedro Pascal says "beautiful" scene that made him want to join The Last of Us got cut, but it’ll thankfully appear in season 2: "He was like, ‘That’s half the reason I’m here!’"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
Absolum
The other devs behind the best retro beat-em-up in recent memory are making a co-op roguelike brawler that "channels the spirit" of Capcom's classic D&D games
Battlefield Bad Company 2
"I am freaked out by how much might actually have been accurate": Battlefield Bad Company 3 writer unearths forgotten script
Skyrim
Skyrim is still an all-time great for asset reuse: this hunk of human flesh could be some poor guard's glute, or probably just a piece of repurposed beef