Blue Ruin 🚙

Happy Thursday! Thank you for spending some time here today.

Today’s recommendation is for Blue Ruin (2017), streaming on Netflix. This revenge thriller was funded with director Jeremy Saulnier’s wife’s retirement fund, his Amex card, and a hail mary Kickstarter campaign that makes the fact that it premiered at Cannes all the more impressive.

Here’s what it’s about: After finding out the man that killed his parents 20 years ago was released from prison, Dwight Evans (Macon Blair) sets out to get revenge. But he proves to be an inept assassin and finds himself on the run. [Trailer // 90 mins]

Why you should watch it: There's an elegant efficiency in the suspense and violence in Blue Ruin. Jeremy Saulnier’s directorial style, which systematically increases the tension throughout the film, is surprisingly assured for just a sophomore feature.

With Macon Blair’s surprisingly entrancing turn, it’s easy to find yourself lost in the story. Blue Ruin will feel familiar to genre enthusiasts. Yet…