Review of Blue Ruin (2014) by Christopher P — 13 May 2014
A man whose life was ruined when his parents were murdered discovers that their killer is to be released from jail and so travels to his home to extract a bloody revenge. Blue Ruin on the surface seems like a very straightforward revenge story, but this is misleading as the film is more about the consequences of that revenge than the deed itself with "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" the primary message.
It has the low key and pragmatic yet rather off beat style of a Coen brothers' film and the bleaker examples such as Blood Simple and No Country For Old Men in particular. The use of a no-star cast makes its realist approach all the more successful and the way an ordinary guy becomes embroiled in a world of violence that spirals out of his control reminded me a little of the likes of Straw Dogs or even Breaking Bad.
If original, off-beat crime thrillers are your bag, Blue Ruin is definitely worth seeking out and Jeremy Saulnier is a name I will be looking out for in the future.
This review of Blue Ruin (2014) was written by Christopher P on 13 May 2014.
Blue Ruin has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
