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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.

I must say I like to give opinions of movies I have not heard of or read anything before, hence not having been influenced by critics or media in the first place. Well I'm afraid this one is far from what it may looks like. A good 10 minute start brings and offers promising plot, although right after the movie starts its descend to nowhere. A ridiculous Steve Zahn character combined with an excessive twisted plot, pushes the whole story to the edge of the cliff, where it finishes by falling into the abyss of boredom and grotesque. Yet the atmosphere and other characters like Dylan Baker and a good photography, may deserve some consideration, so I dare to give a 5,9 over 10, in the end. LaRoy, Texas results of an failed attempt of bringing back Fargo to live. The division line is clear; whilst Fargo is a tough and violent drama combining horror with bitterness humor, LaRoy Texas just end up being a whole dumb redneck game of useless characters trying but getting nowhere. Nope, not this one guys. Better try with small movies like Sweet Virginia (2017) or the more mainstream Three Billboards outside Edding (2017) , as they may keep the Fargo spirit with some better dignity.

Laroy, Texas is a Fargo-esque movie by writer/director Shane Atkinson. He has for sure watched and enjoyed movies by the Coen Brothers. He doesn't have the same talent but he has for sure been influenced by the Coen Brothers and he's certainly good enough to make an entertaining movie in Fargo style. Good dialogues between the two major characters, an interesting story with the necessary twists and turns to keep it interesting, and a good doses of black humour. The entire cast were believable in their roles, enjoyable characters in a wild story that makes this genre of movies just highly entertaining.

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.

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.

LaRoy, Texas, a small scale, small town, crime drama with hint sof comedy that can make or break it. It likes to be silly as a harsh counterpart to the drama. The only issue here is writing and forthcoming characters.

Directing is pretty good, editing is just okay with some off beat cuts here and there but it looks the part and overall keeps a nice consistent style of a beatdown small town in a America. That being said, it's a surprisingly lively town once we go inside of places. Which to me felt odd. You are introduced into practically a ghost town, but the first diner and bar you walk into are full of people and have a pretty cozy/normal vibe to them. For the rest though, good enough, action directing not amazing.

Acting, overall great performances, though mostly quite one note. What irks me most though is the writing and the main downfall of this for me. The main character is intentionally written as a person not to root for, which is fine, if it also meant for a interesting and engaging story with his side characters and his own development. But not really. The character stays stuck in place so hard it becomes annoying to the point where you start to question the character even more, which also leads to a underwhelming ending.

Seeing someone mention Coen brothers, yeah, this is maybe something like that, it comes into that area of oddball characters and a main character that just kind of glides around them. But it lacks the writing (and dialog writing) to make it stick the landing. Only Zahn's character got a couple of chuckles out of me but that's about it.

It's fine, but tends to feel somewhat blunt and lacking.

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.

The film surprised me I just randomly picked this film to watch and to fill in some spare time, I found the characters interesting and played well the plot kept your attention over all I liked the film its a good film I would definitely recommend watching it.

The plot lines were a bit convoluted the actors gave there characters depth the writers did well gave the characters good lines which one of the actors I would choose who was the best tough to say they were all good.

Yes I gave it an eight it deserves it actors where good direction was good and how it looked was very good all up i think it deserves an eight.

Set in the town of LaRoy, Texas, Ray Jepperson (John Magaro) is a soft spoken pushover of a man working a menial job under his brother Junior (Matthew Del Negro) at their family hardware store and is told by his acquaintance Skip (Steve Zahn), a would-be private detective, that he has photos of Ray's wife, Stacy-Lynn (Megan Stevenson), coming from a rendezvous in a seedy motel. Feeling like there's nothing left for him, Ray purchases a pistol intent on ending his life only to be mistaken by a stranger (Brannon Cross) for a hit man he hired giving him bag of money with the address of the target. Ray goes along with the misunderstanding which drags him into a complicated mess of double crosses and blackmail and sets him on a collision course with the real hitman (Dylan Baker) who's none too thrilled at having his job and money taken.

LaRoy, Texas is the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Shane Atkinson. Inspired by his love of hardboiled novels, Atkinson wrote the screenplay in a little over three months and intended to start production in 2020 only to be delayed until 2022 due to the pandemic. Upon its premiere at various film festivals it was met with considerable acclaim and stylistically speaking it is true to form of its inspirations, even if I don't think it quite reaches that bar.

Atkinson definitely knows how to make the town of LaRoy, Texas a character in and of itself with the sparse landscapes beautifully photographed to create a portrait of a town that's very stagnant without much ambition or prospects. Dylan Baker is effortlessly creepy as the hit man, Harry, and due to his work both comedically as well as dramatically he has an unassuming quality to him that sets him up quite nicely in his introductory scene. Steve Zahn steals every scene he's in as the aspiring but inept private detective Skip whose loud cowboy inspired wardrobe and false swagger are wonderfully counter balanced by his actually lack of cases or respect. I also think John Magaro is quite good as Ray playing an absolutely milquetoast simpleton who even when confronted with the reality that his former beauty queen wife is cheating on him he's unwilling or unable to see the truth making a bad situation worse with every step. I guess that's probably where I differ a bit from others on LaRoy, Texas because I personally think it was a mistake to center the film on Ray as the protagonist. With a plot, setup, and style that feel very much inspired by that of the Coen Brothers, there's definitely some apt comparisons to be made between Ray and William H. Macy's Jerry Lundegaard from Fargo or Martin Freeman's Lester Nygaard from the first season of the Fargo TV show. Unlike those two projects, Ray is more at the forefront of the movie and serves as an anchor point (where Fargo was more an ensemble) and I feel like by anchoring the film around Ray it becomes a repetitive cycle of watching someone cartoonishly pathetic making the worst possible decisions and it feels a little monotonous. I also couldn't help but compare it to a similarly Coen inspired film with The Last Stop in Yuma County which felt much tighter and more novel with its take on the "money in a bag" format.

LaRoy, Texas is a good first impression from Shane Atkinson as a director even if I appreciated its style and craft more than I did the actual writing. If you're a fan of quirky small town noirs of this type there's definitely things to appreciate, even if I personally feel like it could've used some extra polish and tightening.

A completely washed up loser, Ray (John Magaro) finds out his wife is having an affair and plans to kill himself. However he inadvertently gets mistaken for a hit man and is given a pile of cash. Through various circumstances he accidentally kills the target with the complex outcome involving his brother, wife, the real hit man and over confident wannabe PI Skip (Steve Zahn) causing him to be placed in all kinds of trouble.

Very Coenesque, this features a lot of sometimes fun, sometimes silly and annoying rather cliched caricatures as they attempt to extricate themselves from various situations. The film is saved by Zahn, funny as an idiot who thinks he's a smart PI and Dylan Baker as the real and merciless hit man. What frankly irks is Magaro's central character, so dumb and irritating that you just wish he'd go away. Some fun stuff here though, with a few clever plotting ideas making the who will prevail and who won't notion worth the wait to the climax where all is sorted one way or another.

"LaRoy, Texas" is a riveting neo-noir thriller that captivates with its sharp writing and dynamic characters. The film's clever plot twists and dark humor echo the Coen Brothers' influence, while the talented cast, including Steve Zahn, John Magaro and Dylan Baker, deliver standout performances. The small-town setting adds a layer of authenticity to the chaos, making the movie a must-watch for fans of the genre. It's a well-crafted blend of suspense and comedy that keeps you guessing until the very end. Take the time to watch this one as it exceeds all expectations and needs to be on your must watch list!

Edit:

I watched it a 2nd time with friends and it was a much better watch. In sense of course when you enjoy a good time with people, it tends to give you a better impression of the film. However, I did find new appreciation for it.

• the film does a good job in taking you along the mystery. Each element presents itself clearly and you find yourself pulled into a very good circle back to the start and realize where it all begins.

• The cowboy character is actually a lot more prominent in the film. Instead of focusing on the mopey protagonist, focusing on him helps understand more about the film's theme and contrast.

• The killer may not be on a Chighur level, but still delivered an effective villain. I think it would've been better if we've seen him actually do something in the diner scene then simply talk about it.

Overall, I'm giving it 2 more points, raising it up to a 7/10. It is worth a watch, particularly with friends.

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I found this film after watching Last Stop in Yuma County and Greedy People in the similar film match. Though the style is similar, the plot and story element falls far short in comparison.

The film starts out well, builds up the suspense, however it never seems to go anywhere. Pretty much every element is predictable and exactly what you would anticipate leaving it a bit boring to be honest and I find myself lacking interest.

The killer is similar to No Country For Old Men, but without the intensity of Chigurh that made him so memorable. The protagonist himself is also boring and dry, not very likeable that in the end I was rooting for his demise.

5/10.

I watched this on a plane solely due to Steve Zahn and well, there are so few good movies now, especially ones without some strange agenda. This fit the bill, but it is hit and miss. The lack of agenda is worth 2 stars all on its own.

As almost every review tells you, this goes far to basically ripoff the Coen Bros' Fargo. We have to give the creators credit for reaching for the sky in their borrowing. Fargo fumes + Zahn + Dylan Baker as a hit man are the saving graces.

Otherwise, the other main character, Ray, is a one-note completely moronic loser who seems to learn nothing from everything he goes through. Yes. He goes through a lot, but he was flatlined braindead.

Black humor, a tangled but connected script that in the end unravels itself by pulling on a thread.

LaRoy Texas draws heavily on the particular humor of the Coen brothers, who would be proud of this film.

Unfortunately, it is a type of film with a particular niche of sympathizers. Its slow and lethargic editing, its repetitive and monotonous soundtrack, and its flat and empty locations in deep Texas transform this feature film into a soporific solution for some.

The acting is good but the script never really explodes. Yes, it is an almost rounded plot, but it lacks strength and power, especially in the third act.

I would not watch it again, but I recognize that it's an intelligent and well-made film.

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.

I was really looking forward to this movie and waited 6 montsh to go and watch it, but all i got was a slow burning heap of trash that stank all the way to Jupiter. Do directors, or actors, or producers, fall in love with themselves or with their own work so that they lose all objectivity and ability to look at the finished probuct with a critical eye and say "hey, this is pretty bad, let's try and improve on it some more"?? I mean c'mon!! This movie has nothing to offer, nothing! I lasted 55 minutes, and I've been meaning to quit watching this after 20 minutes, before I just had to say enough is enough. This is one boring, sleepy, lazy movie that no one needs to see.

I perceived "Laroy" as a blend of comedy and thriller. The performances of the main characters are brilliant; we become attached to them for their overflowing humor and some for their naivety. However, I didn't quite understand the role of some supporting characters, for whom I would have liked more clarification. It's the kind of movie that requires optimal concentration, or else you can quickly get lost. In terms of execution, the film is brilliantly accomplished. At the beginning of the movie, you don't expect such a deep plot. I liked the fact that we continue to laugh despite the violent and tragic circumstances.

Not worth it. The ending was so bleak and uninspiring and thoughtless that it destroyed the entire movie. Also about half way thru it goes downhill. Waste of time. And?

I'm being forced to write more words. Or I can't send this review. Therefore, I'm just going to mumble through on my speakerphone like I said, the movie was overall absolutely stupid, but the beginning did show promise. More of a teaser, so you're waiting and waiting for something to happen. But by the time it gets in the mid section it's going downhill fast and the ending is even worse. Just very dull and bleak and bland ending.

LaRoy, a small village in the middle of nowhere in the USA, where intrigue, absurdity and adultery reign supreme. An explosive cocktail that, in addition to its breathtaking aesthetics, makes the film even more fantastic than it already is. The investigation on which the story is based is quite singular in its pace and twists, revealing the genius of this film. What's more, the film's Western touch gives it a unique, timeless identity. It throws a whole new perspective on thrillers in our faces. The main character, rather weak by nature, is pushed to his darkest depths, giving us a surprisingly comic insight into the emotional limits of human beings.

In conclusion, this film is a little gem discovered at the Deauville Film Festival, which you MUST NOT MISS AT THE CINEMA!

Fargo was the first masterpiece of this style. I love it. So that's why I love movies like LaroyTexas, a B-grade imitation of a unique style. Is the movie bad? Not really, it's entertaining till it becomes ridiculous. Then again entertaining and ridiculous ending. I kind of like it, but at the same time I think it has more potential than the showed here.

First, the cast is great. I mean for a B-grade movie is extremely good. But I'm not sure some of them looked like they're acting in a soap opera.

Second, the script is predictable at it's best. Not really great if you have watched similar movies.

So, overall if you haven't watched anything from Fargo, I mean series and movie, you're going to enjoy and score this higher than me.