Blue Ruin
Dir: Jeremy Saulnier
2013
****
Jeremy Saulnier's 2013 thriller Blue Ruin is a slow burner. It's impossible to tell where the film is going after the first 15 minutes but somehow, without dialogue, and underneath a face full of hair, Macon Blair captivates the audience with his subdued but unpredictable style of acting. Even when the action kicks in, Blair retains this extremely watchable persona and makes the film far more entertaining than it should be. It's difficult to label this film, not that I particularly want to but it isn't fair to call it a revenge movie, a crime-drama or even a thriller (although I've had to list it as something). It is in fact all those things but not in the way we are used to which is a welcome change of pace. It is directed beautifully and has a hauntingly real edge to it that I found frightening but not in the classical horror film way but in the fact that it is uncomfortably real at times. Take the glory elements away from your common revenge film, the justification and attitude, add brains, sadness and very real broken people and you have Blue Ruin. That last sentence might put people off thinking about it but it shouldn't, this is a film that will stay with you, with a great performance to match that shouldn't be missed.