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.

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.

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.