Netflix finally has a No. 1 movie worth watching — and this action-thriller is rated 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

Netflix’s recent slate of original movies has been pretty terrible. New flicks like “The Union”, “Incoming” and “The Deliverance” all managed a No. 1 rank in the streaming service’s top 10 over the past few weeks, but are anything but watchlist worthy.

So, after a summer of (mostly) underwhelming Netflix originals, I braced myself for another misfire with the streamer’s new action-thriller “Rebel Ridge”. However, the very positive early reviews (the movie has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes), had me wondering if the losing streak was about to break, and now having seen the flick, I’m delighted to report it’s the easily best Netflix original movie in over a month.

“Rebel Ridge” has also enjoyed a strong start to its life on Netflix having rocketed straight to the No. 1 spot in the platform’s list of the top 10 most-watched movies (as of Monday, September 9), and that’s a ranking it very much deserves.

If you skipped out on “Rebel Ridge” over the weekend, here’s why it’s the best Netflix original in ages, and you need to stream it as soon as possible…

“Rebel Ridge”’s writer/director Jeremy Saulnier understands cinematic momentum. The movie focuses on Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a former Marine, who is cycling into the small town of Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, but things get sticky when he’s rammed off the road and has his money confiscated by two police officers of seemingly questionable intent.

While it’s easy to imagine a movie taking its time to get to the point of conflict, “Rebel Ridge” instead begins just seconds away from its inciting incident. Within moments of the movie starting, Terry is rammed off the road, and the core narrative begins. This speedy start ensure you’re hooked you straight from the off.

Of course, diplomacy can only get Terry so far, and when playing small-town politics fails, he’s left with no choice but to use force to get back what is rightfully his. From this moment, “Rebel Ridge” turns into a more straightforward action romp, and while there’s a certain catharsis in seeing Terry fight back against a corrupt system, things get a bit predictable.