Quote from Small Town Crime by Steve Yendel
“Do we have to listen to this?“
Executive Producers: Mehrdad Elie and Octavia Spencer
Directors: Eshom and Ian Nelms
Writers: Eshom and Ian Nelms
Major Cast: John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, Clifton Collins Jr., Jeremy Ratchford, James Lafferty, Michael Vartan, Daniel Sunjata, Don Harvey, Stefanie Scott, Caity Lotz, Dale Dickey, Michelle Lang, Stefania Barr, Robyn Lively, and Bart Johnson
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, language, and some sexual references
Running Time: one hour and 31 minutes
*******
I’ve had this sitting in my Netflix queue for quite some time. I wasn’t sure how good it would be because it wasn’t given that many stars by users. Word to the wise, while they hold some weight, there are times it isn’t fully accurate. Small Town Crime is one of those movies where it should’ve gotten more stars. The strength of this crime mystery/thriller is in the acting of John Hawkes (underrated actor in my opinion), as well as the supporting cast of Clifton Collins Jr., Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, and Robert Forster. Ex-cop wanting to prove himself isn’t anything new and neither is an ex-cop who has a drinking problem, but this story has enough substance including Mike Kendall’s (Hawkes) immediate and extended family as he finds himself in the middle of a murder case. As he uncovers clues via personal investigation, he gets closer to the people involved and their motives. Hawkes has a commanding screen presence as an authority figure despite being a flawed character in many ways. This is basically a whodunit and whydunit movie where redemption is sought through answers, some more clear cut than others by the time the movie ends.
I rate Small Town Crime Four Fingers at 90%.
Pisaries Creator 
Leave a comment