Blue Ruin (2013) – 7/10 – Small budget film that knocks Above its Weight Class
An underrated low-budget thriller that knocks above its weight class. The main character, Dwight Evans, is a homeless guy living in an old broken-down car. His parents were murdered years earlier in a double homicide, and Dwight finds out the murderer has been released from prison. Dwight’s sister and niece/nephew are in the crosshairs, so he must hatch a plan to not only protect his sister’s family but avenge the murders of his parents. The story takes off from that through twists & turns.
Blue Ruin is a decent movie that was crowdfunded through a Kickstarter public campaign. Very bloody, violent, and no-nonsense filming style leaves you on the edge of your seat. You get no long-winded cliched speeches with the hero holding up a gun and preaching for 10 minutes to his adversary. There are no flashbacks or anything to slow down the story’s pacing. There is no memorable dialogue, groundbreaking cinematography, or great acting to rave about. What you see is what you get.
Do I recommend it? Not a must-watch, but I enjoyed it. I didn’t expect much going in and got plenty of action.
