LaRoy, Texas (2023) Review: Small-Town Noir With a Wry Grin

Is LaRoy, Texas worth watching?

Yes, as long as you come for the performances rather than a fresh plot. LaRoy, Texas is a nimble, darkly funny small-town noir built on a classic case of mistaken identity, and its two leads make it far more enjoyable than its familiar outline suggests. Writer-director Shane Atkinson has a good ear for losers talking themselves into trouble, and John Magaro and Steve Zahn play off each other beautifully. The reservation is that the film wears its influences so openly, especially the Coen brothers, that it rarely surprises, and it runs a little long for a story this slight.

What is LaRoy, Texas about?

Ray (John Magaro) is broke, depressed and convinced his life has hit bottom. Then a stranger mistakes him for a hired killer and hands him an envelope full of cash. Rather than set the record straight, Ray sees a chance, however bad an idea it might be, to change his luck. He drags in his friend Skip (Steve Zahn), a self-styled private investigator eager for a real case, and the two stumble into a tangle of crime and double-dealing that neither of them is equipped to handle, while the actual professional is still out there.

LaRoy, Texas is Atkinson’s first feature, an American production in English that runs 115 minutes. Dylan Baker and Megan Stevenson round out the main cast.

Two sad sacks and a good script

Magaro, an actor who excels at playing decent men under pressure, makes Ray pitiful and oddly touching. His hunched posture and nervous line readings are funny, but the film never treats him purely as a joke; it takes his desperation seriously, which gives the comedy an undercurrent of melancholy.

Zahn is the scene-stealer. Skip is a blowhard who takes himself far more seriously than anyone else does, and Zahn plays him with a manic sincerity that turns even throwaway lines into highlights. The chemistry between the two, one a pessimist and the other a deluded optimist, is the heart of the film.

Atkinson’s script is at its best in these character moments. The dialogue has a dry, specific rhythm, and the small-town setting, with its diners, parking lots and bored locals, is sketched with affection and a sly eye for absurdity.

Borrowed noir clothes

The influences are impossible to miss. Mistaken identity, bags of cash, bumbling amateurs out of their depth and a menacing professional circling the edges: it is a formula familiar from Blood Simple, Fargo and their many descendants. Atkinson handles it competently, and there are satisfying reversals, but the plot rarely takes a turn that seasoned viewers will not see coming. The tone also wobbles occasionally between broad comedy and genuine violence.

Too long for so slight a story

At 115 minutes, the film is longer than its story needs. The middle section repeats beats, with Ray and Skip digging themselves deeper in ways that feel increasingly mechanical, and some secondary characters exist mainly to complicate the plot. A tighter cut would have made it snappier and funnier.

Who should watch LaRoy, Texas?

It suits fans of dark crime comedy and small-town noir, and anyone who enjoys watching character actors get meaty lead roles. It makes a solid evening’s thriller when you want something lighter on its feet than a straight crime drama. Expect violence, some of it sudden and bloody, along with strong language.

If you enjoy it, try these next:

• Uncut Gems, for a far more frantic story of a man making one bad bet after another.
• The Usual Suspects, a classic crime thriller built on deception and shifting identities.
• One Battle After Another, for a bigger, more ambitious blend of crime, comedy and chaos.

The verdict

LaRoy, Texas is a modest but satisfying indie noir that gets real mileage from two excellent performances and a script with a sharp ear for failure. Its borrowed structure and slightly baggy running time stop it from standing out, but as dark crime comedy it is well worth a watch.

Rating: 3.5/5