Directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, Small Town Crime is a neo noir that isn’t here to reinvent the wheel, rather attempt to perfect itself as a genre piece. Not that it can be pigeon-holed.
Part western, part crime fiction, part family drama, and a lot of noir, the film doesn’t cut any corners for fans of any of these genres, and stands on the shoulders of a magnificent performance from John Hawkes.
Hawkes plays the film’s protagonist, Mike Kendall, an alcoholic whose addictions got him kicked out of the police force. It would be hard to argue it was warranted, given his partner and a bystander lost their lives because of it. Even still, he continues to drink away the days, eventually stumbling across a woman left for dead. For one reason or another, solving this crime becomes his sole purpose in life – and for the rest of the film, we see how far he’ll go to solve the crime, and hopefully regain some of his dignity along the way.
Octavia Spencer (who also Executive Produced the film) and Anthony Anderson are among a strong supporting cast, but this is Hawkes’ film. A versatile actor, even with a Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone, Hawkes has always felt like one that sits in the shadows – unknown by most, but loved by many. So to see him deliver the lead here is a joy. And there is some mastery behind in the script and the lens to bring it all together. An ex-cop trying to redeem himself feels like it should be an overdone plotline by this point – but the Nelms Brothers truly make it their own.
Not to be missed.
Review Score: FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Small Town Crime screened at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
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