A streaming movie about a man who takes on small town corruption has roots in real life. The legal nightmare of civil forfeiture isn't fiction for some Americans.

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.

While the story is set in a fictional town called Shelby Springs, star Aaron Pierre tells PEOPLE the movie was filmed in New Orleans and Leesville, La.

The weekend is almost here, and while you might have plans to relax on the couch with a movie, there’s no reason what you choose to watch can’t bring some action into your life. Rebel Ridge is an intense new release on Netflix that’s generating lots of buzz,

But more than that, I love how the Rebel Ridge ending defies action movie conventions. Come with me as I break down the explosive conclusion of the gritty revenge thriller, what I hope it means for the genre moving forward, and what the film’s director has to say about his new approach to violence.