Not every sub-genre of cinema needs to contain likable characters for films to be successful. A huge number of affecting films have been produced, for years, concentrating on antiheroes: unpleasant characters not featured for the sake of enjoyment. However, when filmmakers are working within the confines of a tight sub-genre like talk-heavy, NYC-based tales of flawed romance, which is essentially what Negin Farsad and Jeremy Redleaf‘s 3rd Street Blackout is, the characters must be relatively pleasant. That’s because rather than focusing on philosophy or atmosphere, the film chooses the route of a double character study and centers entirely on the mind state of the two protagonists, a seemingly happy couple named Mina and Rudy, played by the directors themselves.

Sometimes, when a director makes the decision to place themselves in the spotlight of their own film, they can become so wrapped up in their own vision that the story becomes overly personal and difficult for those who haven’t shared their life experiences. Here, the opposite is true; Farsad and Redleaf are so naturally able to realize the characters they’ve written for themselves that it’s difficult to remember that they’re the co-directors and not a silly New York couple with a set of eccentric friends.

3rd Street Blackout tells the story of a few days in the life of this couple, during which a blackout occurs across the entire city and they’re forced to actually communicate with one another rather than spending all of their time on their phones, as they usually do. This eventually leads Mina to reveal something to Rudy that she’s been bottling up for some time; said “something” is also revealed to the audience in flashback fragments throughout the majority of the film.

The non-linear style of editing that the film utilizes works to its advantage in raising the emotional stakes of the narrative, and simultaneously, creates a feeling of palpable suspense not common in most lo-fi romantic comedies. The film is indeed a comedy, but not in the pure sense at all because the audience is, for the most part, left in the dark regarding the portion of the story being flashed back to. It’s a sincerely funny film—you could draw comparisons between 3rd Street Blackout and shows like Broad City or High Maintenance with regard to its uniquely New York sense of humor—but its structural fragmentation also makes it an effectively frustrating and anxiety-inducing experience.

One of the main reasons why the film works so well is because of the talented supporting cast. Farsad and Redleaf are fantastic and believable as the leads, but the film wouldn’t have been nearly as strong had the slew of supporting characters not been so comically satisfying. The cast is stacked with recognizable faces such as Janeane Garofalo (Wet Hot American Summer), Devin Ratray (Home Alone), John Hodgeman (Bored to Death), Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project), Michael Cyril Creighton (Spotlight) and Phyllis Somerville (Little Children) who, in particular, gives an utterly delightful performance. Lesser known actors such as Katie Hartman and Becky Yamamoto show that they deserve recognition, the former taking on one of the chief supporting roles in the film and nailing every scene, and the latter having only one scene in the whole film, though it was possibly the film’s most hilarious moment.

Ultimately, 3rd Street Blackout is a simple movie focusing on complex characters. The way that the couple avoids addressing important issues through comedy is a realistic dynamic that’s easy for viewers to understand and even sympathize with. Much of the comedy in the film is admittedly crude, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Farsad and Redleaf pull off the crudeness, mostly because the audience can tell it’s not malicious and poorly intended; it feels harmless and reminds one of how important it is to be goofy every once in a while. Characters pop in and out of the film without much introduction, but it doesn’t matter. Actually, it works to the film’s advantage because every character is captivating, and that’s sort of exactly how it is in New York City anyway.

3rd Street Blackout isn’t just great because provides a good laugh; it’ll make you want to sit down and write some comedy of your own. It’s exciting to see a pair of independent directors with such an inspiring and authentic comedic voice.

Blue Ruin‘s originality doesn’t lie within the story, revenge thrillers are a dime a dozen, it’s the moody presentation and powerful lead performance that sets it apart. This dark indie thriller pulls off the difficult combination of bone-chilling terror infused with bits of comedy, making the film a wonderfully discomforting watch. Director Jeremy Saulnier emptied his bank account to fund the film, but the gamble paid off after a successful film festival run which included the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes. Blue Ruin is one of the most suspenseful films of the year so far.

Dwight (Macon Blair) is a long-haired, bearded vagrant who is first seen taking a bath in someone’s vacant home. He eats what he can find along a beach boardwalk, and he is sometimes forced to dumpster dive for food. One morning Dwight wakes up to a local police officer tapping on the window of his blue 1990 Pontiac Bonneville, a beat-up vehicle that doubles as his home. His first instinct is that someone reported his break-in to the house, but the officer assures him he is not in any trouble. Instead, Dwight receives devastating news that the man responsible for killing his parents 20 years ago, Will Cleland, will soon be released from prison. Before this news has any time to settle, Dwight begins preparing to exact his revenge.

Unlike most films where ordinary people carry out sophisticated plans and use weapons as if it were second nature, Blue Ruin takes a more realistic approach by having its main character struggle with basic killer instincts. Dwight is a quiet, wide-eyed man who is barely able to kill a fly, let alone another human being, so watching his inept performance as an assassin becomes a source of dark comedy and situational irony. At one point, Dwight slashes a tire on a car that he later needs to use as a getaway vehicle and later destroys a gun while attempting to break the lock on it.

While Dwight’s appetite for vengeance far outweighs his ability to actually perform such duties, his biggest flaw is devising plans without considering the consequences. Dwight foolishly believes that killing Will would put an end to this case, failing to consider how the Cleland family will be affected. Dwight eventually realizes the dangerous momentum of the snowball he created, but it has already grown beyond his control by the time he does.

Not only did Jeremy Saulnier handle the writing and directing duties, but Saulnier was also responsible for the cinematography. And what a fine spectacle it is. Blue Ruin is masterfully shot, paying close attention to detail. Although the title of the film is never explicitly explained, blue is present in nearly every scene–from clothing the characters wear, to the vehicles they drive, even the lock on the gun Dwight steals is blue.

Rather than relying on heavy doses of expository dialogue, Blue Ruin allows the ominous score and the visceral imagery to speak for themselves. Taking cues from the masters of suspense before him, Saulnier proves silence is the most powerful tool for creating suspense. Blair deserves recognition for humanizing vengeance through body language and facial expressions, made easier after a physical transformation where the massive beard is shaved off. Blue Ruin is modestly paced for a thriller, but because Dwight’s inevitable death is never more than a moment away, the film is still a white-knuckle experience. The devastating demise of a character is rarely captured better than it is here.

Blue Ruin is a thriller focusing on the life of a curious man who returns home to claim vengeance upon hearing the news of a recent release of a prison inmate. After proving himself to be an amateur assassin, events conspire to have him fighting to protect his estranged family.

First screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI Prize, Blue Ruin then screened again in the Vanguard section at the 2013 TIFF, writer/director Jeremy Saulnier started a successful Kickstarter campaign in order to continue production on the film.

Blue Ruin trailer