Ruin

While a powerful short film rather than a feature, *Ruin* is an indispensable inclusion on any list of Justin Kurzel's best work, serving as a concentrated distillation of his signature themes and aesthetic. Set within the walls of a single Berlin house across multiple decades, from the Nazi era to post-reunification, the film masterfully explores the indelible scars of history and collective memory. Kurzel brings his characteristic unflinching gaze to how a physical space can absorb and reflect the trauma, denial, and re-writing of the past, making the house itself a silent, haunted witness to profound societal shifts and personal complicity. Despite its brevity, *Ruin* powerfully showcases Kurzel's command of atmosphere and psychological intensity, qualities that define his most celebrated features like *Snowtown* and *Macbeth*. The film's meticulous production design and evocative cinematography render the house not just as a setting, but as a character laden with secrets, mirroring the hidden truths and suppressed guilt of its inhabitants. It's a stark, unsettling, and profoundly intelligent piece that encapsulates Kurzel's unique ability to find the visceral truth in historical narratives, proving that even in a condensed format, his vision remains as potent and unforgettable as his grander cinematic endeavors.