Cinematic Releases: Blue Ruin

Old school vengeance returns to cinemas and VOD with the nearly perfect Blue Ruin.

"STOP....CALLING....ME..
JESUS!!!! GOD....DAMN IT!"

Retribution tastes so sweet in Blue Ruin.

Every once in a while, an impressive little gem comes along that redefines the way we view the industry, changing our overall perspective on the medium as a whole. Sometimes smaller is just so much better.

Blue Ruin is one such dark and brooding cinematic entry. This small, independent feature with no big name stars is a tension loaded vengeance tale that mixes black comedy with one man's violent search for bloody perverted justice. While the back story is never fully fleshed out, Blue Ruin is further proof that great things are being done with limited budgets and smaller named, more dynamic actors. The film is part mystery, part old school revenge, and a whole lot of indie heart all rolled up in to something that wears its Coen Brothers influence on its sleeve like a shining badge of honor.

Not all movies need multi-million dollar budgets or massive effects laden set pieces to leave their mark. In fact, Blue Ruin is proof positive that low budget, reality based fare is still a great setting for hard nosed thrills and nail biting theatrics. This is a slow burning study in humanity that uses its lead actor's apparent innocence and sternly plain nature to the fullest degree, convincing the viewer that he is not just a character but a man living the life altering change from shy, unassuming every man to cold blooded, premeditated murderer. Not only is his change convincing, but it's a scary journey seeing how easily that coin can be flipped.

"I swear officer. All the ketchup
packets exploded on my shirt
at once........."

Blue Ruin is not high concept. The rules are laid out, plain and simple. This is one man's expeditious journey to making the past right for his family through the use of life altering violence. There are many unexpected bumps along the way and some moments that will have you teetering on the edge of your seat in anticipation. This is a long awaited return to form for cinematic revenge that comes in a mild mannered package named Dwight, a man with no formal gun training and really bad aim.

If you're not looking to swing from buildings with that amazing spider mutant, Blue Ruin is one to check out for everything it offers: strong character development, realistic violence, and most of all great acting from a lesser known star named Macon Blair, the man that brought straight up vengeance back to cinemas.


-Chris George