Although the notion of a former veteran becoming a vigilante against justice has drawn comparisons with classic action thrillers like First Blood and Rolling Thunder, Rebel Ridge is also a timely work of social commentary that has a lot to say about the state of race relations in America today.

As the film goes along, civil forfeiture becomes a cog in a much larger conspiracy plot spearheaded by police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). Terry and a courthouse employee named Summer (AnnaSophia Robb) find themselves caught up in the conspiracy when Summer offers to help Terry and stumbles across something much larger than she was expecting.