Looking for fun crime story that is light but an enjoyable romp – try LaRoy, Texas. Think Fargo-style but not Coen level.
Written and directed by Shane Atkinson, the story features Ray who (John Magaro;Past Lives) who is seen as a loser to his ex beauty queen wife Stacy-Lynn (Megan Stevenson) and brother Junior (Matthew Del Negro) who runs the local hardware store with him. Ray thinks his ex-wife might be cheating on him as advised by Skip (Steve Zahn) a hopeful private detective. On e night – he’s sitting in his car and a man comes up and hands him an envelope – the job – to kill a man. Ray says yes as he needs some spice in his life but the real hitman (Dylan Baker) doesn’t like the idea of Ray taking his job and Ray’s life is turned upside down. Poor Ray – his life is coming at him every which way. He has to deal with a cheating wife, a hitman job and Skip his sort of helper but who never seems to go away.
Magro is excellent in this sad looser guy as the actor keeps shifting up the character so he’s not fully predictable but Stevenson, Del Negro and Baker have little to work an d end up secondary characters. Baker is always powerful in his roles no matter what. This is not a crime thriller for the record books but it is unpredictable and that is something many will enjoy.
