Small Town Murder Songs
Small Town Murder Songs Image
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Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: A modern gothic tale of crime and redemption. When a young, unidentified woman is found dead by the lake - the victim of a brutal and violent crime - Walter, an aging small town police officer, is called to the scene of the town's first murder investigation in decades. Haunted by his past, and hampered by the mistrust of the community and a state police officer overseeing the investigation, he sets out to solve the murder, complicated by his ex-lover and his suspicion of her current boyfriend. As he delves deeper into the crime, his newly-reformed life begins to unravel threatening his relationship with Sam and intertwining itself within the investigation and possibly the murder itself. (Monterey Media, Inc.)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    Jul 7, 2011
    80
    Stylistic debts abound: the Coen brothers, Roger Deakins, the bleak, gothic landscapes of Terrence Malick's "Badlands" and Richard Brooks's "In Cold Blood." Through it all, though, is the original and memorable spectacle of violence expressed and repressed by the desperate hero.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Alison Willmore
    Jun 30, 2011
    75
    The film is as much music-video collection as crime drama: The interludes in which the songs swell into voluptuous prominence balance out a tale of crime and redemption so spare, it's almost abstract.
  3. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: David Fear
    Jun 28, 2011
    60
    The combination of provincial accents and Stormare's patented creepiness make "Fargo" comparisons inevitable, though Canadian filmmaker Ed Gass-Donnelly's tongue isn't anywhere near his cheek.
  4. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Chuck Bowen
    Jun 30, 2011
    25
    So intent on being "art" that it's seemingly indifferent to providing simple niceties such as compelling performance, plot, and an atmosphere that isn't predictably oppressive.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. MorriBey
    8
    Enjoyable. Hard though to understand the accent sometimes. Excellent filmography. Best i have seen in a long time. It captures the small Mennonite town so well. Film is a mystery but in that Cohen brothers way. Weird and wonderful where nothing happens above the surface but where you feel the vibration of the tremors below.… Expand
  2. JUIKER
    8
    Superbly well- acted by everyone on screen and beautifully scored by Bruce Peninsula in a truly remarkable soundtrack that adds so much to the film. For all the fine, fine performances here, Amy Rutherford in a brief role as a grieving mother deserves special mention. In all, while the film is short and might be charged with under-serving its story, there is nary a misstep here. I am looking forward to more, much more, from this director.… Collapse
  3. Nesbitt10
    8
    Beautifully written and directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly about a man Walter (Peter Stormare), who seeks redemption for his life of sin. There isn't anything complicated about the plot, there aren't any wild twists, and it raps itself up rather quickly at under a hour and a half. The cinematography is straightforward and graceful, consistant with the unassuming storyline. The musical score is exceptional, which dramatically enhances this film from a "it was ok" ,to a movie that truly captivates and resonates. Peter Stormare is terrific as Walter.… Expand

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