Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Rebel Ridge,’ a man’s life turns upside down entirely unexpectedly. The protagonist is a former marine named Terry Richmond, who is on his way to posting his cousin’s bail when he is stopped by the cops and forced to give up the bail money because they suspect it to be drug money. Terry tries to find different ways to make peace with the situation while also getting his cousin out, but with each step he takes, things get more and more out of hand. It becomes clear to him soon enough that the town and its system have been crooked such that it is impossible for a common man to find a way around it. The corruption in the town presents it as a nightmare, but thankfully, it is not a real place. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Towns in Rebel Ridge are Fictional, But the Southern Backdrop is Real
The story of ‘Rebel Ridge’ takes place in a small town called Shelby Springs. There is also a repeated mention of a town called Percyville, which is quite close to the town Terry finds himself stuck in. Throughout the film, the protagonist and his enemies move around the above-mentioned locations. While there is a real place called Shelby Springs in Calera, Alabama, it doesn’t have anything to do with the corrupt town shown in the movie. The real Shelby Springs was a resort that used to be a major tourist attraction, but it is not functional anymore. This confirms that both Shelby Springs and Percyville are fictional locations in the movie.
The film references Shelby Springs as a town in Alabama, but the cast and crew of the film set camp in various towns in the state of Louisiana to bring the authentic character of the place to the movie. Locations across New Orleans, Leesville, and the Tangipahoa Parish were employed to film several parts of the movie, which were then patched together to give the impression of the town of Shelby Springs. The scene concerning the courthouse, where Terry meets Summer, who becomes his partner in exposing the corruption in the town, was filmed on location in Leesville.
Meanwhile, the Wadesboro Road bridge area in Tangipahoa Parish was used to film several tense scenes. The crew also employed locations in Loranger, like the Briar Patch Cemetery and East Bell Roads, to add more character to the location. Reportedly, the crew also briefly set camp in Slidell and Lacombe. All of these towns benefited from the production, with the economies of the places receiving a massive boost during the course of the filming.
The Fictional Rebel Ridge Serves as an Important Location
While the movie is titled ‘Rebel Ridge,’ the place is not mentioned until the final quarter of the story. It is presented as a secluded location in Shelby Springs, where the cops call Terry to make a deal. However, he has other plans, and the cops have to immediately abandon their post in Rebel Ridge to go back to town and prepare for the final showdown. While the place isn’t discussed in detail, it seems that it is of historical importance, and this is not the first time it has seen a battle. The plaque about the place talks of its relevance in the American Civil War. Like the rest of the locations in the movie, Rebel Ridge is also a fictional place, the scenes concerning which were filmed in the above-mentioned towns of Louisiana.
Read More: Rebel Ridge: Is the Netflix Movie Inspired by a True Story?
