Small Town Murder Songs

R

Released May 27, 2011

1 hr. 16 min.

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

79%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An ex-lover and her suspicious boyfriend complicate a troubled cop's (Peter Stormare) investigation of his small town's first murder in decades.

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Audience Member

There is some kind of line between Peter Stormare's breakthrough in American film, playing a psycho criminal in the Coen Brothers' small town classic Fargo from 1996, and to Small Town Murder Songs. This is another small town story, Canadian and no comedy, but a crime noir, still with a clear darkness and almost parodic normal small town people going about their business notion, that is fundamental also to Fargo. Most dialogue is taciturn and there's not many too overexposed characters. It's all basically composed and down to earth, quite perfect for an aging actor like Stormare. This time around he even gets to play a cop, and he performs well. The film as a total could have been awesome if it weren't for the occasional lack of intention and slight overacting. Nevertheless, it's different, has a good soundtrack, but is perhaps trying too hard to be poetic about redemption.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A unique little gem.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A solid effort with an exceptional performance from Stormare--Brilliant acting, thoughtful screenplay & an effectively absorbing drama!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The script is a little undercooked and the acting is serviceable. The real reason to see this is Stromare; he transforms himself, completely realizing his character and gives his best performance since "Fargo." Stromare makes this film with his work. And wow, is it one hell of a performance. I must say, "Small Town Murder Songs" is one of the best titles I have ever seen.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Frances H

Although the acting was good, the script was way too slow and the plot simplistic to the point of idiocy, thus making the film way too dull. How it got a 79% I'll never know.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/04/13

Full Review

Audience Member

A very good little movie. Great acting from Peter Stormare and a fine soundtrack too.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

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Ed Gass-Donnelly

Director

Peter Stormare

Walter

Martha Plimpton

Sam

Jill Hennessy

Rita

Jackie Burroughs

Olive

Ari Cohen

Washington

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

"Small Town Murder Songs" moves so deliberately, with such confident authority, that every small event takes on cumulative significance...

Jul 7, 2011

Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Beneath a deceptive calm, it uncovers a core of fear and loathing as ominous as the backwoods world of "Winter's Bone."

Rated: 4/5

Jun 30, 2011

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Peter Stormare is a limited actor who only manages to exude the resolute nothingness of the role.

Rated: 1/4

Jun 30, 2011

Full Review

Richard T. Jameson

Parallax View

... the film is only an hour-and-a-quarter long, and that's just as well; spells are hard to sustain. Yet it's big enough.

Jul 12, 2011

Full Review

Nora Lee Mandel

Film-Forward.com

Atmospherically steeped in rural noir. . .Stormare's agonized face keeps the focus on more a tormented character study than a mystery. . .greatly heightened by rootsy songs.

Rated: 7/10

Jul 1, 2011

Full Review

Keith Cohen

Entertainment Spectrum

Stormare's performance towers over the flimsy story. Besides the effective ensemble acting, another asset is the outstanding cinematography. This captivatingly haunting crime drama never gets tiresome and knows when to bring the...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 11, 2011

Full Review

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Synopsis

An ex-lover and her suspicious boyfriend complicate a troubled cop's (Peter Stormare) investigation of his small town's first murder in decades.

Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly
Screenwriter: Ed Gass-Donnelly
Distributor: Monterey Media
Production Co: Resolute Films and Entertainment, 3 Legged Dog Films
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|A Scene of Sexuality|Nudity|Some Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 7, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.9K

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