“Rebel Ridge” writer-director Jeremy Saulnier remembers the exact moment that he realized his Netflix thriller was a hit.

He had been invited to attend a fight in Las Vegas. As he was walking through the casino behind Aaron Pierre—who stars in “Rebel Ridge” as Terry Richmond, a Marine veteran who uncovers corruption in a small Louisiana town—he could tell that everybody recognized the actor. (Previously, Pierre appeared in the series “Krypton” and “Genius” and Barry Jenkins’ miniseries “The Underground Railroad.”) “Heads would turn,” Saulnier said. “Bartenders, valets, gamers, whoever it was, everyone was turning their heads. I was able to bear witness to the birth of a star, in real time. And that was amazing.”

The filmmaker was shocked by just how many people had watched the movie alre

See Full Page