Blue Ruin

Action-revenge flicks often feature brawny types pummeling an army of bad guys in heroic fashion until all the villains lie in a clump. Not so with Jeremy Saulnier's little independent thriller, whose protagonist, Dwight Evans (Macon Blair), is an undersized, meek-looking dude—introduced here as a scruffy, bearded derelict scavenging in dumpsters for food and living in the titular old blue Pontiac. When Dwight learns that a man named Will Cleland is being released from prison, he replaces the car battery and sets off for his hometown in Virginia. What follows is a gruesome scene as Dwight follows Cleland, whom he blames for the death of his parents, to a bar and takes bloody vengeance. Dwight is not terribly good at covering his tracks, however, so before long the dead man's clan is in hot pursuit. The murder has also put Dwight's sister, Sam (Amy Hargreaves), and her kids in jeopardy, so with a little help from an old high school pal, Dwight prepares himself for a final showdown at the remote Cleland homestead. What makes the film work is Blair as the singularly unlikely but appealing anti-hero who seems almost befuddled—and is certainly morally torn—over the cycle of mayhem into which he has been inexorably drawn. A taut, suspenseful thriller, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Jeremy Saulnier and star Macon Blair, a “making-of” featurette (19 min.), deleted scenes with optional commentary (5 min.), a camera test (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine low-key thriller.] (F. Swietek)