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Small Crimes

Name: Small Crimes
Director: E.L. Katz
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: April 28, 2017
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 60

2017

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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MOVIE DETAILS & CREDITS

Not Rated

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): April 28, 2017

Summary: After serving time for the attempted murder of a District Attorney, disgraced former cop Joe Denton returns home looking for redemption. An embarrassment to his parents and abandoned by his ex-wife, it seems as if things can’t get much worse. But then Joe finds himself trapped in the mess he left behind—in the cross fire between a crookedAfter serving time for the attempted murder of a District Attorney, disgraced former cop Joe Denton returns home looking for redemption. An embarrassment to his parents and abandoned by his ex-wife, it seems as if things can’t get much worse. But then Joe finds himself trapped in the mess he left behind—in the cross fire between a crooked sheriff, the vengeful DA, and a mafia kingpin who knows too much. [Netflix]… Expand

Director: E.L. Katz

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 min

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CRITIC REVIEWS

ScreenCrushBritt HayesMar 16, 2017

Director Evan Katz’s follow-up to 2013’s Cheap Thrills is a lean, mean neo-noir that addresses an age-old question: Do people ever really change? Read full review

Consequence of SoundMichael RoffmanMar 19, 2017

IndiewireDavid EhrlichMar 16, 2017

A pulpy slice of pie from deep in the heart of American nowhere, Evan Katz’s Small Crimes is far too convoluted for such an admittedly modest thriller, but the film ties together in such a perfect bow that it’s tempting to forgive all of the knots it took to get there. Read full review

The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloApr 26, 2017

Small Crimes, as a film, ultimately errs on the side of being overly vague, perhaps because there simply isn’t any plausible way to get much of the history across via dialogue. Read full review

RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyApr 28, 2017

Small Crimes works in part but is strangely murky in others. There's a lot of dead air. It's the pettiness, the small-ness of the characters that makes the greatest impression. Read full review

The PlaylistKristy PuchkoMar 16, 2017

Even though the plot loops in police corruption, murder, revenge, and blackmail, it’s pace never manages more than a sleepwalk shamble. Read full review

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USER REVIEWS

TareqS4May 2, 2017

Our Hero here isn't a hero but we still like him. a great performance from Nikloaj to bring a complex yet simplified character. However the movie is tonally inconsistent. just when you think we're going in fast pace and more entertaining way the movie pulls back. which is off putting. some character motivations aren't very clear.

This movie is smart, good looking, dark and very original. The story is really good and engaging. I was wondering allOur Hero here isn't a hero but we still like him. a great performance from Nikloaj to bring a complex yet simplified character. However the movie is tonally inconsistent. just when you think we're going in fast pace and more entertaining way the movie pulls back. which is off putting. some character motivations aren't very clear.

This movie is smart, good looking, dark and very original. The story is really good and engaging. I was wondering all the time what's going to happen and wanted to know what's gonna happen because I cared about Nikolaj's character. The movie was yet able to surprise me. If you like original and different movies you should watch this.… Expand

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JohnWittenMay 2, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Small Crimes recently released on Netflix at the end of April and is the next in the seemingly endless stream of independent or miniature films to be featured on the streaming service. Unlike some of the drivel that often comes with these second chance or low budget films being made and provided on the closed circuit, Small Crimes is actually a pretty competent story as well as darkly comedic satire on turning your life around after a series of unfortunate events.

Based upon the first book in a trilogy of novels written by Dave Zeltserman, Small Crimes sees its main protagonist- Joe Denton (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) released from prison following a short term stay for attempted murder and drug abuse. Each novel in the trilogy focuses on a more or less “bad” person who has recently been released from prison and the effects this has on their prospects as well as how well (or poorly) they manage to escape their past mistakes. In Joe’s case, things get pretty grim from the outset.

Something that sort of surprised me throughout the hour and a half film was how well it manages to handle some complicated ideas and simplify things down to human nature and emotional attachment. There are a lot of ideas juggled by the film but more or less it focuses on a handful and comes out better for it- no complicated plot twists here so much as there are ironic turns of events. Coster-Waldau is easily the highlight of the film as he brings the dirty cop and hitman vibe with equal measures narcissism and grit. Robert Forster, Gary Cole, and Molly Parker also play their respective roles quite well- Forster as Joe’s father, Cole as his former partner and another cop on the take, and Parker as a love interest and nurse.

The thing that Small Crimes does the best is get the job done, quite unlike Joe Denton in many ways. It isn’t immediately apparent that it carries almost a darkly comedic and satirical vibe although there are some instances where things take a dramatic turn for the worse in the most ironic way imaginable. It’s almost like there’s some sense of ex machina except every situation takes a turn for the worse rather than ever getting any better. It is very much a film about a man trying to redeem himself and despite everything being dragged back to his old ways and old world.

Although it has a relatively short run-time, one of the best things about Small Crimes is how well it wraps up and how cleanly it does so after a messy final act that quite literally butchers the majority of the main cast. What at first began as a film that hints at the violent nature of Joe’s world soon becomes a showcase of the reality of cause and effect as well as choice and consequence. What begins as a simple hit on a former mob boss who plans to spill the beans to the local district attorney quickly devolves into an all-out war that rages throughout the small town setting. Nobody is safe, not even Jaime Lannister.

On one hand, the film may not seem altogether too deep and it has been criticized for some of its simplicity and lack of complex motives or meaning. However, if you really look closely you will see there are so many intricate dynamics between the characters and Coster-Waldau predominately embodies this in his performance which really makes you feel as if he knows his fellow actors as intimately as his character does. There is a particularly ironic and tragic bit in the very end where Coster-Waldau gives so much weight to everything that has happened and the scene is veritably dripping with emotion despite him only giving a meaningful glance to his father and wiping a knife clean of prints.

Small Crimes isn’t a simple film by any means but a lot of what it does best is create simple complexities rather than needlessly confusing plot points and obscure references. It is concise and to the point which the story definitely benefits from and it has some interesting and colorful characters that range from extreme to deranged depending on the given situation. There aren’t many unnecessary revelations but the level to which pretty much all of its events tie-in and come together almost reminds me of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and the masterful way that it tied together seemingly unique stories.

Small Crimes is by no means perfect but in my mind it is one of the better offerings we’ve seen come straight to Netflix lately and if you’re a fan of darkly humorous and ironic films, there’s a strong possibility that you’ll enjoy this one as well. Think of it as somewhere between a gritty crime film and a typical Coen Brothers production- not quite one extreme or the other, but more a commentary on redemption than anything else.… Expand

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SquaredRenMay 2, 2017

At the first 40min of the film you might feel a little lost because the movie starts in the middle of a situation that has lots of repercussions to the main character but eventually you will catch up. Also, it drags a little bit in the 2nd act. The film has dark humor, and very unexpected events. It's a nice little film by Netflix that it's worth the watch.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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