LaRoy, Texas

It's pretty clear from the outset that first-time feature director Shawn Atkinson is a big fan of the Coen brothers because there isn't a scene in this evocative albeit overlong 2024 character-driven thriller that didn't remind me of genuine classics like "Fargo", "Blood Simple", or "No Country for Old Men". The convoluted plot centers on put-upon Ray, a sad sack who owns the town's family hardware store with his slick brother Junior. Married to an unfaithful former beauty queen Stacy-Linn, Ray decides to end it all but gets caught up as an inadvertent hit man on the track of missing cash with his hapless private eye buddy Skip. Much like William H. Macy's Jerry Lundegaard in "Fargo", Ray is such a pitiful character that John Magaro can only do so much to flesh out his role and elicit empathy for his character. On the other hand, Steve Zahn brings welcome over-the-top comic gusto to Skip, while Dylan Baker plays effectively against type as Harry, the true hit man. Matthew Del Negro and Megan Stevenson play Junior and Stacy-Linn pretty much by the numbers. As with the Coens' films, there are comic scenes punctuated by shots of extreme violence. Really for fans of this particular genre.

The movie is fun to watch, from the beggining to the end. It keeps you guessing whats coming next. All the actors did great at their roles, the plot is very nice, the soundtrack is great and fitting at its scenes. The humor is on point, and its not exagerated. The first 25 minutes are the best and keeps you interested from whats going to do next. Middle is not so good as the first act and the end is nice, but not explendid.

Overall, I recommend this movie to everyone who likes a bit of humor and likes movies that made you think "things are terrible, it cant be worse", and them, it gets even worser than you thought it could be.

7.5/10.

LaRoy, Texas is a film that feels like a snowball, rolling downhill and picking up chaotic layers with each new action and choice made by its characters. This constant build-up kept the story engaging and entertaining for me, as every twist made things feel more complicated and unpredictable. The comedy throughout worked well to add some lightness, but at times, it felt like it held back the story from reaching the more intense or satisfying moments I hoped for.

The characters are well-written and bring a quirky charm to the film. However, while they were fun to watch, they lacked real growth or depth. They acted consistently within the story's wacky tone, but I found their actions to be a mix of well-crafted and somewhat clunky moments that didn't always hit the mark.

The direction was stable and well-executed. There are some great shots and compositions, with editing that kept a steady rhythm that matched the story's pacing well. The beginning of LaRoy, Texas does a good job of setting up expectations, holding out plenty of potential scenarios for the story to take. However, by the end, it falls just short of fulfilling those expectations. There's a sense that the movie could have reached a more powerful conclusion if it had taken a different narrative path or gone deeper into the characters' motives.

In the end, LaRoy, Texas is fun, quirky, and visually well-made, but it leaves something to be desired in the story's payoff.

I am going to look forward for further up coming flicks either written or directed by Shane Atkinson.... This picture flew seamless. When I watch a movie - I often take breaks.... the breaks let me sink in fully and completely the past 20 or so minutes. For example "All The Presidents' Men" and intelligent pictures like those.

With Laroy, Texas I took breaks within each 30 minutes or so...... to let it sink in :) the characters were so natural - acting was splendid. The cinematography gave the feel of real place where it was shot. Until now.. this year - one of the best that I have seen. Give it a shot - it is worth its money.

1) LAROY, TEXAS doesn't look like a 2024 Holywood movie and i appreciated it. There are no "messages" here, script didn't obey to non-cinematic guidelines which have nothing to do with the Art of Cinema. This is an artistic creation, a real movie which told me a STORY. I can't take for granted even this nowadays, so i applaud the creators here just for this reason.

2) Unfortunately, it's flawed. First of all, its running time. If you want to create a 2 hours movie, you should make it interesting at least, from the beginning to the end. Especially when this is a dark comedy or comedy/drama/crime or something like this. This is not an Ingmar Bergman/Andrei Tarkovsky movie, this is a FARGO-esque. You will lose viewers' attention if you present them a 2 hours slow-paced movie which is kinda sad and miserable at times.

3) Having said that, overall this was not boring neither sad. There were many interesting moments, pace is getting better in the second half and Steve Zahn's presence made it more enjoyable. The last 40-50 minutes were much more enjoyable overall. Not the most convincing movie of the world, not everything made totally sense but i liked it. Unfortunately, it took too long for the movie to find its rhythm.

It's a well acted and well directed movie and i was this close to recommend it but i can't. Still, i cannot NOT recommend it either. Not a MUST WATCH, but enjoyable and watchable.