Blue Ruin is a superb thriller with a minuscule budget and a no star cast. Nonetheless, this obscure indie is an engrossing revenge story worth multiple viewings. It is basically the story of an aimless young man named Dwight Evans (played by Macon Blair) who lives to get revenge on the man that murdered his parents many years ago – and to make it worse that man just got an early release from prison.
However, Dwight is a hapless protagonist, seemingly ill-equipped in every way to carry out a revenge killing. He can’t even take care of himself properly. It’s interesting how other sources define Dwight’s character. For instance, a Wikipedia article describes him as being a vagrant and while this definitely hits the mark, a Netflix synopsis refers to him as a vagabond. Although vagabond is generally a derisive term as well, it also has the connotation of someone who leads “an unsettled or carefree life” (according to Dictionary.com).
This definition could suggest a romanticized way of life – if living hand-to-mouth in a rusting, ancient Pontiac on an East coast beach is a breezy, carefree way of life. While this is the state of Dwight’s existence, we can’t help but think if the murder of his parents was the only cause for him to end up in a life of such total disarray. There is also a key scene where Dwight reconnects with an old high school friend. Part of their conversation suggests that his overall adolescent experiences and memories were not positive even before that horrible event, but we don’t know the other circumstances of his life.
Blue Ruin is one of those stories where the reasons for the character’s plight should be important and while that aspect of the story is a bit murky – another thing the viewer cannot help but wonder about – is how Dwight seriously thinks he would get even with the entire Cleland family. From the start, Blue Ruin it is painfully evident how uneven this contest is. However, this disparity does not detract from the tension of the story – which becomes almost unbearable at times. In fact, this tension is well maintained throughout as Dwight doggedly carries on with his quest to avenge his parents – right up to the stunning, gruesome conclusion.
Blue Ruin is definitely the rare vengeance thriller which proves that huge budgets, dazzling special effects, and high profile stars aren’t always necessary for a well-crafted, memorable story.
