Blue Ruin (2013, Macon Blair) – Movie Review

The film noir is profitably revisited by writer-director Jeremy Saulnier, who provides an unforgettable role for Macon Blair as Dwight. The little-known actor grabs his chance in the spotlight beautifully.

First seen with the kind of beard actors only wear when the script is going to get them to shave it off, Dwight returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance for the deaths of his parents. Proving himself endlessly resourceful and finding he has a previously untapped killer instinct as an amateur assassin, Dwight ends up in a battle to the death to protect his estranged family.

Saulnier looks as though he’s been watching the films of the Coen Brothers, especially their first, Blood Simple. He couldn’t have better role models. Blue Ruin isn’t quite as good as Blood Simple, but it is in the ballpark, and that makes it rather splendid. It is incredibly tense, suspenseful and atmospheric and it is also quite bloody and brutal.

But it could be even more stylish, with more stylised visuals, more neon-lit images, and the story maybe even darker still. One more death (you’ll see which one) at the end would have made it so satisfyingly dark that it would then have been a perfect neo-noir.

Nevertheless, Blue Ruin is worth a long detour to find. It’s a little gem, perfectly aimed at lovers of intelligent thrillers.

Blair is also known for Gretchen (2006), Murder Party (2007) and Hellbenders (2012).

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(C) Derek Winnert 2014

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more film reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/