Blue Ruin (2014) Review

"The one with the gun gets to tell the truth."
-Teddy Cleland



I went into this movie knowing nothing about it and that may be part of the reason I loved it so much.  Stop what you're doing and go watch Blue Ruin.  Trust me.



Dwight Evans (Macon Blair) lives a quiet life a beach vagrant.  He gets word that the man that killed his parents is getting out of prison.  Dwight returns to his hometown to get revenge, which leads him down a violent path he wasn't expecting.


What Works:

Macon Blair carries this movie with an impressive performance.  He's just so sad and broken.  He's a fascinating character with a very interesting emotional journey.

One thing I love about this movie is that Dwight tells two people about the first murder he commits; his sister and his friend.  Neither of them get on Dwight's case for what he has done or scold him.  His sister is actually happy the man is dead and his friend just offers help.  It's really refreshing for a revenge story and illustrates that Cleland family must be pretty awful.

This movie does an amazing job of building tension.  The scenes take their time and really build up to the climax.  Dwight sneaking into the bar, his attack on the Cleland house, and the attack on his sister's place are all great examples of this.  They aren't quick.  These scenes are slow and methodical.  This makes them feel all the more real.

I love how profoundly sad this movie is.  There is no joy or glory in this revenge tale and Dwight knows this.  This happens almost out of a sense of obligation, which makes it all the more tragic.

Finally, as the 3rd act began, I was really worried we might not get a bloody finale.  I though Dwight may have a change of heart and leave without confronting the Cleland's.  He definitely considers it, which makes sense with his character.  We end up getting the best of both worlds where Dwight gives the Cleland's a chance to end this, but when they fail, he takes them out anyway.  It's an excellent and visceral ending to the film.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.


Verdict:

Blue Ruin is an excellent film with marvelous tension, acting, tone, and writing.  It feels very real, but also delivers on the violence.  I cannot recommend this movie enough.  Blue Ruin has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

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