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Smart, stripped-down, and thrillingly grim, Blue Ruin proves that a well-told revenge story can still leave its audience on the edge of their seat.
All Critics (137) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (132) | Rotten (5) | DVD (1)
The world doesn't need another empty genre exercise. But as Blue Ruin reminds us, it can always use more filmmakers of Saulnier's resourcefulness, sensitivity and quiet assurance. Jan 5, 2015 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…
The world doesn't need another empty genre exercise. But as Blue Ruin reminds us, it can always use more filmmakers of Saulnier's resourcefulness, sensitivity and quiet assurance.
Ann Hornaday
With the same brand of realist irony the Coens used to cool down Blood Simple, writer-director Jeremy Saulnier slows the genre's heartbeat to gripping effect. Jan 5, 2015 | Rating: A | Full Review…
With the same brand of realist irony the Coens used to cool down Blood Simple, writer-director Jeremy Saulnier slows the genre's heartbeat to gripping effect.
Keith Staskiewicz
Saulnier is also a cinematographer, and he's in complete control of the film's conflation of human-scale horror and tragicomedy. May 8, 2014 | Full Review…
Saulnier is also a cinematographer, and he's in complete control of the film's conflation of human-scale horror and tragicomedy.
Wesley Morris
Blair, an unheralded actor, carries the whole picture. He's in practically every scene, and his performance is fascinating because in his eyes you can see the character struggling desperately with himself. May 8, 2014 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Blair, an unheralded actor, carries the whole picture. He's in practically every scene, and his performance is fascinating because in his eyes you can see the character struggling desperately with himself.
Soren Andersen
Saulnier makes impressive use of silence and slow camera movements, allowing the suspense to simmer until violence seems practically inevitable. May 8, 2014 | Full Review…
Saulnier makes impressive use of silence and slow camera movements, allowing the suspense to simmer until violence seems practically inevitable.
Ben Sachs
Saulnier spills a lot of blood, but he's an extraordinarily responsible and appealing craftsman. May 5, 2014 | Full Review…
Saulnier spills a lot of blood, but he's an extraordinarily responsible and appealing craftsman.
David Denby
It is a straightforward, stark, no-frills story, which Saulnier's script tells with no extraneous sub-plots or characters padding the narrative. Mar 4, 2019 | Full Review…
It is a straightforward, stark, no-frills story, which Saulnier's script tells with no extraneous sub-plots or characters padding the narrative.
Paula Fleri-Soler
Blue Ruin marks Jeremy Saulnier out as an exciting filmmaker to watch - it's just a shame that the film can't fully shake off the weight of its influences. Oct 21, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…
Blue Ruin marks Jeremy Saulnier out as an exciting filmmaker to watch - it's just a shame that the film can't fully shake off the weight of its influences.
Alistair Ryder
A well-paced, well written, and surprisingly poignant film. Aug 21, 2018 | Full Review…
A well-paced, well written, and surprisingly poignant film.
Deirdre Crimmins
It's a dark film, with a sicko sense of humor, that's not for all tastes. But the talented director knows how to keep things tense, taut and exciting. Dec 24, 2015 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…
It's a dark film, with a sicko sense of humor, that's not for all tastes. But the talented director knows how to keep things tense, taut and exciting.
Dennis Schwartz
Jeremy Saulnier's "Blue Ruin" is a small, quiet film brimming with smart directorial decisions. Nov 8, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Jeremy Saulnier's "Blue Ruin" is a small, quiet film brimming with smart directorial decisions.
David N. Butterworth
Even though at some points it hints at dark humor in a Coen brothers kinda way, this movie is far from making you laugh. [Full review in Spanish] Aug 17, 2015 | Full Review…
Even though at some points it hints at dark humor in a Coen brothers kinda way, this movie is far from making you laugh. [Full review in Spanish]
Ernesto Diezmartinez
Unlike the typical revenge tale wherein the hero is sure handed, surefooted and sureheaded, this story leans into the possibility that our grim revenger might not have it all together in any way, shape or form. And yet ... Good moviemaking all around. Get in for the antithesis of Charles Bronson and one nerve wracking ride. Good stuff.
Super Reviewer
A visceral revenge story whose nerve-wracking tension is combined so well with a dark sense of humor as it follows the inept (and sometimes hilarious) efforts of its amateur protagonist, moving in a deliberate, slow-burning pace towards a lacerating conclusion.
There's nothing better than a revenge fantasy film. Tarantino is possibly the most famous, recent, purveyor of this genre with his revival of grindhouse and exploitation films, but "Blue Ruin" is its own strange, gothic ride through Southern crime. Read more at http://www.bluefairyblog.com/new-blog-1/2015/3/26/blue-ruin
Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier understands the viewer should sympathize with the "hero" in order for us to be invested in his plight. You can appreciate Dwight's emotionally damaged vagabond. I'm not so sure we should be rooting for him, but we do. He has suffered deeply. Now he is tormented by deep sorrow and so he has our sympathy. Yet his quest is made more captivating in the way it's told, giving the audience pieces to make us root for the protagonist without really knowing everything. Even by the end, we never really know the complete story, just enough to understand what's happening in the moment. Bursts of violence are used. Blue Ruin occasionally falls victim to excess. More restraint in the bloodshed department would've been appreciated. An extended scene where Macon digs an arrow out of his leg is gratuitous in its desire to shock. Storytelling is a craft. Blue Ruin does indeed have an artistic way of telling an uncomplicated tale. It doesn't revolutionize the genre. It's a simple saga, artfully told. fastfilmreviews.com
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