Blue Ruin is a revenge crime drama written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The film has a great cast and is quite gripping as it reveals the past in chunks purely through dialogues – neat screenplay. It’s pretty straightforward, really, but the film left some questions for a few. So, here’s Blue Ruin’s ending explained, along with a few other FAQs.
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Blue Ruin: Who killed Dwight and Sam’s parents, and why?
Wade Cleland’s father killed both of Dwight’s parents because Dwight’s dad had an affair with Cleland’s wife. Wade Cleland Sr lived a complete life and died an old man. Dwight’s mother had nothing to do with this and was collateral damage. The son, Wade Cleland, admits to the crime on his dad’s behalf, goes to jail and is released ahead of time. Hence, Dwight decides to kill him to avenge his parents.
Who is that kid, William?
William was the child born to Dwight’s father and Cleland’s wife. Though he’s illegitimate, the Cleland family raises William as their half-brother. It’s possible the Cleland siblings were unaware that William was their half-brother and they realize this only when Dwight tells them in the end. On the flip side, William might have known this fact because he doesn’t share the same animosity towards Dwight that the rest of the Clelands do.
Blue Ruin Ending Explained: Did he die?
The ending of Blue Ruin sees Dwight getting shot by William and Kris and succumbing to his wounds, but before that, he takes out the entire Cleland family except William, who he allows to leave. First, Dwight’s friend Ben kills Teddy Cleland. Dwight then hides in the Cleland home and kills Carl because he plans to go after Sam. William sneaks up on Dwight and shoots him but doesn’t want to kill him. Dwight manages to successfully disarm William and spares him, announcing he is a half-brother.Â
Dwight hopes for a truce, but one of the sisters, Kris, goes for a hidden gun while the other, Hope, runs at Dwight. Kris fires and accidentally kills Hope and fatally wounds Dwight. At the same instant, Dwight fires a shot that kills Kris.
What happened to Sam?
Dwight realizes that they will come for Sam and her kid because the Clelands didn’t go to the cops as there was nothing on the news about Wade’s murder. So Dwight asks them to move away to another city. Eventually, she will learn about her brother’s demise along with the death of the Clelands through the news. Considering she wasn’t well off, at some point she’d have to come back to claim her home and life back.
Did you like the film? What where your thoughts on the plot and ending of Blue Ruin? Drop your comments below!
Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time.
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