Synopsis
Mike Kendall, a disgraced ex-cop, is fighting a losing battle with the bottle. When he finds a woman left for dead at the side of a road, Kendall turns private eye to track down her killers, taking one last shot at redemption.
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Cast
- John HawkesMike Kendall
- Octavia SpencerKelly Banks
- Anthony AndersonTeddy Banks
- Robert ForsterSteve Yendel
- Clifton Collins Jr.Mood
- Michael VartanDetective Crawford
- Caity LotzHeidi
- James LaffertyTony Lama
- Stefanie ScottIvy
- Daniel SunjataDetective Whitman
Recommendations
- 83
Consequence
The film’s success rides on the shoulders of Hawkes, and for the most part, it works. - 80
Variety
Written and directed by sibling filmmakers Ian and Eshom Nelms with equal measures of respect and skepticism for pulp conventions, the movie comes across as neither pastiche nor parody, but rather as a seriously down-and-dirty crime story with a savage sense of humor. - 78
Austin Chronicle
Small Town Crime is so engrossing in its optimistic darkness that it screams for the further pulpy adventures of Mike Kendall. Hawkes imbues him with the beat-down appeal of a Sam Spade or a Jim Rockford. - 75
The A.V. Club
An amiable crime dramedy from a more under-the-radar pair of filmmaking brothers, Ian and Eshom Nelms. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
Buoyed by an appealing lead performance by John Hawkes, Small Town Crime is a smart, sharply written detective story that, though not without humor, plays it straight and tough. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Starring John Hawkes as a booze-addicted former cop who stumbles across a mystery he can't stand to leave unsolved, the scuzzy-looking pic is a boon to the actor's fans. - 70
The New York Times
The Nelmses don’t make enough of their more intriguing ideas (Mike’s familial history) and end up right where you expect they would, bang bang. But Mr. Hawkes keeps you tethered, whether he’s navigating the movie’s uneven tones or peeling down one of cinema’s lonely highways in a muscle car so lovingly shot it deserves a co-star credit. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Engagingly anchored by character actor John Hawkes, Small Town Crime is a satisfyingly quirky serving of frisky pulp fiction.
