Blue Ruin (2013)

Directed by: Jeremy Saulnier
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Blue Ruin” is an absorbing American indie thriller, directed by Jeremy Saulnier (also screenwriter and cinematographer), which depicts a sequence of unstoppable revenges involving two families. Homeless Dwight (Macon Blair) roams the streets with his long hair and beard, taking every opportunity to break into some house to have a bath. All he possesses is an old car and the clothes he’s wearing. When informed by the police that Wade Cleland is about to be released from prison, Dwight’s eyes became wide open and his hands started shaking with rage. Supposedly, Wade murdered Dwight’s parents and now will have to suffer the consequences. Highly determined but inexperienced in the act of killing, Dwight fulfills his purpose but leaves a track behind – he forgot his car keys in the local of the crime. In the next step, the hunter becomes hunted by Wade’s siblings, doing everything he can to protect himself and his sister, and asking for the help of an old friend who is an expert in guns. Some scenes contain explicit violence but the film doesn’t rely on these particular moments to impress, since the story is involving and the motives that led to this situation put us in a state of curiosity and anxiety, without ever losing grip on visuals or atmosphere. Blair’s performance had something that captivated me, in one hand he shows to be a merciless punisher, but on the other, he tries to find reasons not to continue killing. “Blue Ruin” can figure among other recent, competent thrillers, such as “Blue Caprice” or “Joe”.