In an online world where film critiques are prone to hyperbole, Blue Ruin is a genuine masterpiece.
Peacock quietly added Blue Ruin to its streaming library last week. So if you’ve never seen it, now’s the time. If you enjoy gritty, realistic revenge movies built on character work and tension rather than over-the-top action, then you’ll love it.
Blue Ruin follows Dwight, a man whose life was ruined when his parents were killed. When Dwight learns that the man convicted of his parents’ murder is set to be released from prison, he begins path of revenge that gets darker and more dangerous at every turn.
Macon Blair (Green Room, The Hunt) stars as Dwight.
The film illustrates the reciprocal nature of revenge in an agonizingly tense way. It’s also a bit of a slow burn, and that, combined with its stark and quiet atmosphere, perfectly conveys the loneliness of a life dedicated to revenge. Beginning to end, Blue Ruin is brilliant.
You might already be familiar with the film’s writer and director, Jeremy Saulnier. His most well-known film is the excellent Green Room (2015) about a punk band trapped inside a skinhead bar. His other writing/directing efforts include the underseen Halloween comedy Murder Party (2007), and the exciting First–Blood-esque thriller Rebel Ridge (2024). Even with such a strong resume, I still think Blue Ruin is the best movie Jeremy Saulnier has made so far.
Blue Ruin is currently streaming on Peacock.
Peacock quietly added Blue Ruin to its streaming library last week. So if you’ve never seen it, now’s the time. If you enjoy gritty, realistic revenge movies built on character work and tension rather than over-the-top action, then you’ll love it.
Blue Ruin follows Dwight, a man whose life was ruined when his parents were killed. When Dwight learns that the man convicted of his parents’ murder is set to be released from prison, he begins path of revenge that gets darker and more dangerous at every turn.
Macon Blair (Green Room, The Hunt) stars as Dwight.
The film illustrates the reciprocal nature of revenge in an agonizingly tense way. It’s also a bit of a slow burn, and that, combined with its stark and quiet atmosphere, perfectly conveys the loneliness of a life dedicated to revenge. Beginning to end, Blue Ruin is brilliant.
You might already be familiar with the film’s writer and director, Jeremy Saulnier. His most well-known film is the excellent Green Room (2015) about a punk band trapped inside a skinhead bar. His other writing/directing efforts include the underseen Halloween comedy Murder Party (2007), and the exciting First–Blood-esque thriller Rebel Ridge (2024). Even with such a strong resume, I still think Blue Ruin is the best movie Jeremy Saulnier has made so far.
Blue Ruin is currently streaming on Peacock.