John Magaro, Steve Zahn and Dylan Baker star in Shane Atkinson’s dark comedy.
Dylan Baker is introduced as a driver who stops to pick up someone on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. Because of the actor’s ability to flesh out nuances in the slightest lines of dialogue, the scene quickly becomes chilling.
John Magaro is introduced as Ray, a sad-sack who slides into a diner booth opposite private detective Skip (Steve Zahn), who is soon drawn outside by the sight of his car being towed, with police officers yucking it up, almost literally braying: ‘Hee haw! Yuck, yuck!’
Those opening scenes gave me whiplash. The film’s intentions began to clear up in a sequence where we are introduced to Ray’s brother, Junior (Matthew Del Negro). The two brothers operate a store in the fictional small town of LaRoy, Texas — not to be confused with the real-life small town of Leroy, Texas — but they are not equal partners, except in name.
Ray is the manager, who must deal with store operations, while Junior stays in the office and does, apparently, nothing. Yet, somehow, Junior has a new boat and a big house, while Ray lives in a small house and struggles to provide for his discontented wife, who may be stepping out on him.
Shane Atkinson, who wrote and directed the film in his feature debut, puts the narrative blocks into place for a dark comedy thriller, where murder and mayhem will surely mingle. The twists, criminal and otherwise, are made in good faith, and the cast is very good at making the most of their roles.
The trouble is that the characters who inhabit the small town are ill-defined beyond their surface differences. It’s difficult to fathom, for example, why Ray remains so besotted with his wife when she has made her own unhappiness abundantly clear and supplies no reciprocal feelings. The marriage is dead, he can’t see it, and it’s not clear why he is such a sap.
John Magaro has steadily built up a good body of work, and Dylan Baker remains a personal favorite for his subtle, often sneaky talents. It’s also a pleasure to watch Steve Zahn inhabit his role with relish, and to enjoy performances by Matthew Del Negro and Brad Leland, among others.
<b>LaRoy, Texas</b> may not completely succeed, but it’s easy enough to enjoy watching the actors in a dusty, small-town milieu that I found quite attractive. If your sense of humor aligns more completely with the film than mine, then you’re in for a good time.
The film opens in select area theaters and is also available On Demand as of April 12, 2024.
Dallas Film Now. 