Netflix's 10/10 Action Thriller Is the Perfect Introduction to the DC Universe's Newest Star

Lanterns fans need to watch Pierre in this near-perfect Netflix action thriller

HBO’s new DC Universe show Lanterns is a Western mystery drama grounded in the buddy cop dynamics between veteran space cop Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his new trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Audiences will likely recognize Chandler, who rose to fame playing the father figure for an entire football team in Friday Night Lights, and then taking on similarly paternal roles in Super 8, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Manchester by the Sea. Chandler's Hal Jordan is a far worse mentor than Coach Eric Taylor; he seems to relish tormenting John by showing up to training late and crashing a car with John in the passenger seat.

Pierre may be a less familiar face, but he's no stranger to superhero stories, having played a Kryptonian warrior as one of the stars of Syfy’s Superman prequel Krypton. However, if you want to see why Pierre is the perfect actor for John Stewart’s live-action debut, you should check out his performance in Rebel Ridge, Jeremy Saulnier’s Emmy-winning action thriller released on Netflix in 2024. It shows off the impressive physical skills Pierre brings to the role, along with the same veneer of disciplined politeness painted over a deep well of resentment and rage.

In Lanterns, John is a Marine sniper, constantly addressing the cocky fighter pilot Hal as sir, even though Hal does very little to earn his trainee’s respect. Pierre acts in an almost identical manner in Rebel Ridge as Marine veteran Terry Richmond, who visits the small town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana to bail his cousin out of jail. Terry is introduced cycling down the road only to get rear-ended and threatened by police officers. He handles the interaction with intense restraint and politeness as they make racist comments and steal the bail money under the cover of civil asset forfeiture.

The same tension of a Black man trying to avoid conflict in a rural area runs through Terry’s interactions with the residents of Shelby Springs and John’s dealings with the locals of Rushville, Nebraska. Pierre brings an irrepressible swagger to both characters. He doesn't want to start an unnecessary fight, but he also feels very confident he'd win any fair matchup. Unfortunately, Pierre’s characters both find themselves facing deeply entrenched interests looking to protect the status quo. In Lanterns, John and Hal have to deal with an alien conspiracy. In Rebel Ridge, the problem Terry is facing is far more mundane.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a 2014 episode on civil asset forfeiture, which allows law enforcement agencies to seize cash and property from citizens without charging them with any crime and then use it to fund their own operations. It’s a subject that seems far more appropriate for a dry data-driven comedy show than an action movie, yet Saulnier brilliantly uses it to create an infuriatingly mundane but no less devastating threat to Terry. The cops see Terry’s bail money as an easy payday, but they don’t realize who they’re messing with.

Pierre is very good at playing a cipher, conveying hidden depth beneath the stoic exterior of both John and Terry. Saulnier adds to his mystique with quiet scenes like Terry meticulously shaving after a night of sleeping in the woods. His raw physicality is first conveyed through the simple determination he demonstrates riding his bike to keep up with a bus taking his cousin to prison. His ability to keep pace with the vehicle makes him an obvious threat to the cop behind the wheel. But things escalate even further when he confronts the arrogant, corrupt police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), who reveals that there’s no way Terry will be allowed to help his cousin.

“You stopped calling me sir, which is about the only thing you had going for you,” the chief says.

“Well, that’s a courtesy I extend only so far,” Terry responds.

When Aaron Pierre stops calling you sir, things are about to get serious.

While Burnne is smugly telling Terry off, the funniest scene in the film is brewing in the background. The chief tasked his officers with doing a background check on Terry, but they’ve been stymied by poor internet connection. When they finally get access, they discover he was never actually deployed as a Marine because he spent all his time on base teaching martial arts. “I think he’s on the Wikipedia page,” a nervous cop says just before Terry effortlessly disarms Burnne.

The film gives Pierre plenty of opportunities to show off his chops as an action star. Terry is a specialist in close-combat, nonlethal martial arts, which gives him a huge variety of tricks for takedowns. Pierre is cool and confident as he establishes control of a police station, always on the lookout for deception and taking the tiniest of openings to seize an advantage. Superheroes don’t typically kill people, but Pierre demonstrates he can be incredibly intimidating as he incapacitates a squad of cops with his bare hands and some smoke grenades.

Lanterns is a generational tale about Earth’s first Green Lantern reluctantly training the young man who might be his replacement. Just as John Stewart has proven himself worthy of wearing a ring that is one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy, Pierre has demonstrated he’s a shining talent capable of handling tense drama and thrilling action. If you’re waiting for the next episode of Lanterns, Rebel Ridge is the perfect film to watch to get a taste of what John might do once he stops being police.

Rebel Ridge is available to stream on Netflix