Netflix’s Rebel Ridge Ending, Explained

Netflix’s Rebel Ridge sees ex-marine Terry Richmond taking on a corrupt police force after they seize his cousin’s bail money. But how does this tense action drama end? Here’s Netflix’s Rebel Ridge ending explained.

Here’s How Netflix’s Rebel Ridge Ends

Rebel Ridge ends with Terry Richmond being escorted to the hospital by the police, who’ve decided to turn on their corrupt chief of police, Chief Sandy Bumne. He takes the DVR out of the police car’s trunk, which shows the local police chief shooting one of his officers, and sits down, while Summer is taken in for treatment.

Rebel Ridge’s Entire Story, Explained

The story begins with Terry driving to small town Shelby Springs to pay his cousin’s bail money, but he has the money stolen by the corrupt local police. Without the bail, his cousin is sent to jail, where he’s stabbed to death by some criminals he’d gotten on the wrong side of.

Despite that, Terry is still prepared to leave with all his money and the truck the chief bought to shut him up. But Summer, who has been helping him, is framed for drug use. She’s a former addict, and the police break into her house, inject her, and, in cahoots with the town judge, use this to get her fired. It also means she’s got zero chance of getting custody of her kids back.

Related: All Major Actors & Cast List for Netflix’s Rebel Ridge

She calls Terry, which is what brings him back into the mix. Together, they discover that, following a lawsuit against the police that nearly bankrupted the town, the department is now conspiring to keep their dash cam footage private by holding people for misdemeanors.

We don’t get to see what’s on the dashcam, but presumably it involves taking people’s money, as was the case with Terry’s bail money. Terry arranges to hand over the DVR in exchange for Summer (who’s been caught by the police) at a place called Rebel Ridge. But he actually drives to the police station to take on Chief Bumne.

After a fierce standoff, Chief Bumne is run off the road by Officer Jessica Sims, one of the good officers. Bumne and team drugged Summer again, this time near fatally. And, once Terry takes a seat in the hospital to visit her, the movie ends.

What Happens to the Characters in Rebel Ridge?

So what happens to the characters? We simply don’t find out. The movie’s ending is certainly dramatic, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Office Marston, despite being the one who took the money, turns to Terry’s side and gets shot for his trouble. Does he live? And does Summer recover and get her job and daughter back? What about Chief Bumne? Do the charges stick?

None of those questions are answered. There’s no post-credit scenes, no ‘six months later’ epilogue. It just ends with Terry sitting down in the hospital, evidence in hand, which has lead many seeking an explanation for Rebel Ridge’s ending.

Rebel Ridge is available to watch now.