Mikes Film Talk

LaRoy, Texas feels like a Blood Simple and Fargo sort of film. It is almost a hour and 52 minute long homage to the Coen Bros. Shane Atkinson, the writer and director of the titular film, gives us a western noir sort of movie. The film gives us a dubious P.I. Skip (Steve Zahn), a cheating wife Stacy-lynn (Megan Stevenson), the cuckold, Ray (John Magaro) and a hitman, Harry (Dylan Baker) and plot right out of a Coen bros production, sans the Coen’s.

The Story

Skip, who wants to be real detective, reveals to Ray that his wife is cheating on him. He has pictures. Ray is upset, so upset that he decides to kill himself. He goes to The Velvet Saddle to do the deed in his vehicle. While working up the courage to pull the trigger a man gets in his car. The man, Tiller (Brannon Cross) hands Ray some money to kill someone. This bit of mistaken identigy turns out to be a “wrong place at the wrong time for both men.

The real hitman, Harry (Dylan Baker) arrives and everything in LaRoy goes down the rabbit hole.

Musings

LaRoy, Texas is a brilliant mix of black comedy/thriller/tragedy. No one in this norish western comes through unscathed. There are victims aplenty. Each character faces a depressing future after the series of events plays out.

Like an intricate spider web we are privy to this noir modern western. Each time the tale seems to move forward, another level of confusion slows the whole thing down.

Baker is beyond brilliant as Harry the hitman. He manages to put the “C” in creepy. Not since Trick ‘r Treat has Baker played such a disturbing character.

Zahn, who has a brilliant history of playing disparate characters, really delivers here. His interactions with Ray are a montage of awkwardness. Ray himself keeps digging a deeper hole with an alarming sort of ease.

Laroy, texas

The small town setting shows where everything is intertwined. Harry steps in and disturbs the existing rhythm of the place. Harry and Ray will meet and clash. Meanwhile Skip is pushing himself to solve the issue of more dead bodies and the connection of a picture of Ray’s wife found on the victim. The one Harry was meant to kill.

The Wrap up

LaRoy, Texas is nigh on perfect. This loving homage to Fargo and Blood Simple is a real winner. The entire cast knock their performances out of the proverbial park.

The plot and subplots piece everything together with a smooth touch that is enviable.

Mingjue Hu‘s cinematography uses the most of natural light to focus each scene. Sebastian Mialik edits with a surgeon’s precision.

This is an incredibly enjoyable film. It may not be a homage to the Coen Bros, but it feels like Ethan and Joel can be felt in each frame.

The verdict

LaRoy, Texas earns a full 5 stars. Everything works perfectly here. This blackly comic noir western effortlessly entertains. Check out the trailer and then check out the film. PS: See if the interrogation doesn’t leave you in fits of horrified laughter.

The Trailer