--- title: "Blue Ruin" year: 2014 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blue-ruin" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-16T12:58:39.773194+00:00" updated: "2026-09-16T12:58:52.457342+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Blue Ruin (2014) Directed by Jeremy Saulnier · 1h 30m · MPA R · Crime, Thriller **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 73 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* For once, the man bent on revenge looks as worried about the violence as we are > *Blue Ruin* is a lean, frightening revenge thriller with an unusually vulnerable lead. Macon Blair makes its clumsy avenger painfully human; the supporting characters could use more of the attention given to his mistakes. ## Synopsis Dwight Evans (Macon Blair) is a drifter who sets out to take revenge, with neither the confidence nor the practical ability the task demands. Fearful and clumsy, he struggles with the business of carrying out violence, and his mistakes threaten to involve people beyond his intended target. Family members on both sides face the consequences of a feud he cannot control. Amy Hargreaves plays Sam Evans and Devin Ratray plays Ben Gaffney in a story that follows Dwight as his plan begins to go wrong. ## Review *Blue Ruin* makes the prospect of getting even seem alarming from the start. Jeremy Saulnier, who writes, directs and photographs, gives us an avenger without the competence that might make his mission reassuring. Dwight Evans is a drifter, played by Macon Blair as a man frightened by the practical demands of violence. It is tense, often grimly funny, and worth seeing for the care with which that fear is made convincing. The performance gives the film much of its force. Macon Blair lets Dwight look surprised by his own clumsiness, and his nervousness makes even a deliberate action seem liable to go wrong. We felt protective of him because those fumbling attempts to hurt somebody expose how vulnerable he is himself. That is an awkward feeling to have about a man pursuing revenge, and the film gives us time to be uncomfortable with it. As cinematographer, Jeremy Saulnier makes the opening readable without a running explanation of who everyone is and what has happened to them. We learn to watch behaviour, and to regard a moment of uncertainty as something that could become dangerous. Julia Bloch’s editing helps keep the practical difficulties in view instead of hurrying past them to the next burst of action. At 90 minutes, the film is economical, but its pace still accommodates an amateur’s mistakes. Kaet McAnneny’s production design feels appropriately unshowy, giving this ugly feud no romantic grandeur. The music by Brooke Blair and Will Blair sustains the unease without making Dwight’s undertaking sound heroic. These contributions work because they keep our attention on the frightened man at the centre. The atmosphere remains oppressive even when the film allows us to laugh at his inability to do what he has set out to do. The humour matters, partly because it gives the film a way to question revenge without stopping for a speech. Dwight’s clumsiness makes a simple decision to hurt someone look increasingly difficult to put into practice. That can be funny, but the danger stays close enough to prevent his errors becoming harmless entertainment. The screenplay trusts us to recognise the folly in what he is attempting while still taking his distress seriously. The weakness is how thin some of the people around Dwight remain. Jeremy Saulnier’s screenplay is so attentive to its central character that others can seem present chiefly to keep the feud moving. The supporting performances have a welcome lack of showiness, but naturalistic acting cannot supply everything that sparse writing leaves out. A film concerned with violence spreading through families would benefit from giving those families more life beyond the immediate business of revenge. Within the revenge thriller, the film distinguishes itself through its sustained attention to fear and incompetence. It does not need to escape the genre to make its familiar business disturbing, though anyone hoping for a fuller account of the people involved may find it narrow. Its strongest scenes make a simple mistake feel dangerous enough to hold our attention without further explanation. Choose it for suspense and Macon Blair, with fair warning that the violence offers little comfortable release. *Fi1m score 84, published 16 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics welcome Blue Ruin as a lean, tense revenge thriller whose anxious, inept protagonist gives familiar material a fresh approach. Praise centres on Macon Blair’s sympathetic performance, which makes the violence feel frightening and clumsy rather than heroic. The reviews also commend Saulnier’s economical visual storytelling, controlled atmosphere and dark humour, with several finding substance in the attention to the practical difficulties and damaging consequences of revenge. The spread is fairly wide, though positive reviews comfortably predominate. Reservations concern thin plotting, narrative gaps and whether the film develops its ideas beyond its effective suspense. Time Out admires the opening but finds that the momentum falters as the film struggles to reconcile revenge thriller and reflective drama. Vulture offers the clearest dissent, acknowledging the craft and economy while dismissing the story as a conventional revenge saga; even some admirers question how far it escapes those conventions. ### Reviews we read (22) - **Sight and Sound**, Trevor Johnston (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Saulnier for an expertly turned, classically fashioned revenge thriller. Macon Blair’s soulful, sympathetic performance anchors the story, while the direction evokes John Carpenter with its classical reserve and precise craftsmanship. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-blue-ruin) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (A-): The critic praises the film's eccentric hero and visual style but notes it may not transcend its genre roots. Singles out the atypical protagonist for praise. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/blue-ruin-revitalizes-the-revenge-thriller-with-eccentr-1798180232) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's fresh twists on the revenge thriller genre and its deep exploration of violence's effects and practicalities. Saulnier is established as a promising indie auteur, with Macon Blair as an unusual leading man. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blue-ruin-review/) - **The Guardian** (85/100, inferred): The film is a stripped-down, viscerally intelligent revenge thriller that subverts genre tropes by focusing on the corrupting effects of violence and the mechanics of killing rather than glorifying them. It stands out for its precise visual storytelling in the opening and Macon Blair's portrayal of a broken, fearful antihero. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/04/blue-ruin-review-lean-mean-revenge-thriller) - **RogerEbert.com**, Susan Wloszczyna (80/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a timely reflection on America's obsession with and revulsion toward gun violence, with a deeply disturbed antihero whose revenge quest is both savage and messy. Saulnier is praised for building tension through inventive camerawork, sound design, and a mix of horror and dark comedy rather than preachiness. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blue-ruin-2014) - **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (75/100, inferred): The review calls the film an atmospheric, skillfully photographed thriller that sells its thin plot with strong visuals and a hapless, bungling avenger. Macon Blair's performance as the surprised, clumsy protagonist is singled out as making the character touchingly human amid the violence. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/movies/blue-ruin-stars-macon-blair-as-a-man-with-a-vendetta.html) - **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's atmospheric, elegant pulp noir qualities and the casting of Macon Blair as the unlikely, bumbling vigilante Dwight, whose nervous performance makes the revenge story compelling and human. The economical storytelling and focus on practical details are highlighted as strengths, though some narrative gaps are noted as a minor drawback. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/blue-ruin-jeremy-saulnier-review/) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Saulnier elevates familiar revenge ingredients into something more accomplished through solid storytelling and fine craftsmanship. The measured approach and lean execution should appeal to a wider audience beyond grindhouse fans. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/blue-ruin/5056353.article) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (70/100, inferred): Denby finds Saulnier a responsible craftsman who films the bloody revenge story from the bumbling hero's point of view, turning mishaps into convincing, often comic action. The director's talent for mood and subjective rendering is praised, though the hyper-violent ending is criticized as a lapse into gothic excess. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/28/the-revengers) - **The Times**, Kate Muir (70/100, inferred): The story follows a vagrant drifter turned reluctant avenger whose clumsy, squeamish attempts at revenge spiral out of control and draw in family members on both sides, with nifty twists in a pulpy thriller framework. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/blue-ruin-3f58njbtgmx) - **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (65/100, inferred): The critic describes an uneven but tense stripped-down thriller about an unlikely, terrified vigilante whose inept actions ignite a family feud. Tension that builds like a low-grade fever is highlighted as keeping viewers engaged despite some slip-ups. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-blue-ruin-20140425-story.html) - **Little White Lies**, Sophie Monks Kaufman (3/3/3): The hard-boiled revenge thriller is held together by Macon Blair’s mesmerising lead performance despite an unconvincing plot. Bold minimal exposition sets up the premise effectively, though later violence feels more like standard horror than a genre reinvention. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/blue-ruin/) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (3/5): The film delivers a taut, unflinching first act and packs nasty surprises with crisp photography and strong acting. It struggles to sustain momentum or decide between redneck revenge and thoughtful indie drama, ending on a shrug. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blue-ruin) - **Slant Magazine**, Jesse Cataldo (50/100, inferred): The film provides steady thrills but little substance, reducing characters to stock figures. Praises the suspense but complains about lack of depth and unclear message. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blue-ruin/) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (40/100, inferred): The film is artful and well-made but ultimately drivel, a standard revenge saga. Praises the mood and storytelling economy but complains it's low genre crap. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2014/04/movie-review-blue-ruin.html) - **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4.5/5): Blue Ruin is lauded as a refreshing, lean revenge thriller distinguished by its quiet confidence, oppressive dread, and Macon Blair's superb, endearing central performance as the gentle, inept protagonist Dwight. The moody cinematography, naturalistic supporting cast, and tragic escalation are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/blue-ruin-review/) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A-): The review commends the film's subversion of revenge tropes by focusing on a bumbling, human protagonist whose mistakes heighten the horror and tension, creating unbearable suspense through perspective-driven storytelling and abrupt violence rather than wish-fulfillment catharsis. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-terrifying-suspenseful-thriller-blue-ruin-20140422/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): The critic finds the film a desolately toned revenge story that acknowledges the blowback and futility, with a captivating reluctant protagonist played superbly by Macon Blair; praises the restrained, sad tone and anguish that lingers. [Read](https://collider.com/blue-ruin-movie-review/) - **Consequence** (80/100, inferred): An eloquent bloody affair that is a bulls-eye, naturalistic vengeance that meets and subverts expectations with great scenes like the arrow removal turning tragicomic; praises the tight, riveting micro-thriller and promise shown. [Read](https://consequence.net/2014/05/film-review-blue-ruin/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (4/5): The critic highlights the film's visually arresting style, taut direction, and idiosyncratic approach to the revenge genre via an anxious, fumbling protagonist, commending the strong visual storytelling, tension, macabre humor, and the director's distinctive voice. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/blue-ruin-2013-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (4/5): The review praises the film's intelligent subversion of the revenge thriller through a humanized, empathetic protagonist who opposes murder, along with strong performances and a naturalistic tone blending suspense, intensity, and dark comedy. It notes a minor complaint about the somewhat formulaic ending. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/blue-ruin-review/) - **Paste**, Tim Grierson (7.0): The film subverts assumptions about small-town characters in a revenge tale, balancing lurid elements with empathy and questions about vengeance's returns; singles out the way it turns into a story of empathy and understanding others. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/blue-ruin-2013-afi-fest-review) ## Details - **Director:** Jeremy Saulnier - **Director:** Jeremy Saulnier - **Writer:** Jeremy Saulnier - **Cinematography:** Jeremy Saulnier - **Editor:** Julia Bloch - **Music:** Brooke Blair, Will Blair - **Production design:** Kaet McAnneny - **Costume design:** Brooke Bennett - **Producer:** Richard Peete, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani - **Cast:** Macon Blair as Dwight Evans; Devin Ratray as Ben Gaffney; Amy Hargreaves as Sam Evans; Kevin Kolack as Teddy Cleland; Eve Plumb as Kris Cleland; Stacy Rock as Hope Cleland; David W. Thompson as William; Brent Werzner as Carl Cleland - **Runtime:** 1h 30m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 25 April 2014 - **Genres:** Crime, Thriller - **Budget:** $420,000 - **Box office:** $993,313 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0XGOxFnm9A ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: streaming - Peacock: streaming, hd - Pluto TV: free - Amazon Prime Video: free - The Roku Channel: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Peacock: free, hd - Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $5.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Limey* (1999), Fi1m 80: Another wounded avenger, with fractured memories making a familiar revenge story feel personal. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-limey.md) - *Dead Man's Shoes* (2004), Fi1m 77: A small-scale revenge story whose anger leaves little room for comfortable cheering. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dead-mans-shoes.md) - *Le Samouraï* (1967): A far more practised criminal, watched with similarly patient attention to dangerous routines. - *Good Time* (2017), Fi1m 82: More criminal incompetence, with family loyalty making every bad decision still worse. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/good-time.md) - *Revanche* (2008): A patient crime drama that lets grief complicate the desire to settle accounts. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/blue-ruin