Blue Ruin is a classic American revenge story that recently won the Fipresci International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival where it screened in the Directors’ Fortnight. The film follows a mysterious outsider whose quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

My Thoughts: There’s something fascinating about this film and its lead character, Dwight. “Amateur assassin” is putting it nicely. In spite of the fact that he does kill a few people, Dwight is just plain lucky sometimes. He’s very clearly driven by a sense of right and wrong, but without the foresight to realize what his actions will cause. The same could be said, though, for many of the characters in this film. People do things without thinking through. Fortunately for viewers, that sense of the unexpected is what gives Blue Ruin its intrigue.