Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Ed Gass-Donnelly
Cast
Peter Stormare,
Martha Plimpton,
Jill Hennessy,
Ari Cohen,
Jackie Burroughs,
Stephen Eric McIntyre
Genre
Crime,
Thriller
Walter is the chief of police in a small Ontario town that has its first murder victim, an attractive young woman who is found naked on the shores of the nearby lake. As the young woman is identified, it becomes apparent that Walter's former love interest may be lying.
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
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.
The A.V. Club
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.
The A.V. Club by Alison Willmore
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.
Variety
It's a rare film that feels too short, but Small Town Murder Songs leaves one wanting more -- more murder story, mystery and revelations from lead thesp Peter Stormare and virtuoso helmer Ed Gass-Donnelly.
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Compellingly acted from top to bottom. As the raw passions of its hard-bitten characters seep into you, the songs hammer them even more deeply into your consciousness. The film's only flaw - a big one - is its brevity.
Village Voice
Boldly succinct yet confident enough to take its time.
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
There's still much to admire about this carefully drawn but concise character sketch, especially the strong performances and a unique, affectingly ominous score by folk-rock-gospel outfit Bruce Peninsula.
Boxoffice Magazine by Pam Grady
A lawman seeking redemption can't seem to escape sin in Ed Gass-Donnelly's haunting, rural drama.
Variety by John Anderson
It's a rare film that feels too short, but Small Town Murder Songs leaves one wanting more -- more murder story, mystery and revelations from lead thesp Peter Stormare and virtuoso helmer Ed Gass-Donnelly.
Village Voice by Mark Holcomb
Boldly succinct yet confident enough to take its time.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Stephen Cole
Gass-Donnelly is good at capturing stalled rural lives, from church hymn-sings populated by the elderly, their voices fragile as April snow, to dead-end afternoons at corner cafés, where bored patrons stretch lunch hours with coffee and gossip.
Time Out by David Fear
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.
Slant Magazine by Chuck Bowen
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.
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