Set in LaRoy, Texas the crime thriller revolves around Ray (John Magaro) a hardware store worker, run by him and his brother Junior (Matthew Del Negro). After learning of his wife Stacy-Lynn’s (Megan Stevenson) infidelity, Ray plans to kill himself, but his plans are derailed after he is mistaken for a hitman and decides to pursue the mark.
Opening on Harry (Dylan Baker) driving down a quiet country road at night, he is stopped in aid of a motorist whose truck has broken down. After a short and uneasy introduction, the two men soon drop all pretenses and Harry reveals himself to be a hitman hired by the broken down motorist’s wife to be killed due to ongoing and complicated divorce proceedings. Receiving a call soon after, Harry sets off for LaRoy.
Unassuming, Ray responds to a note left to him by an old acquaintance from school Skip (Steve Zahn) to meet him at a local diner. Skip tells Ray he is now working as a private detective and had accidentally witnessed Ray’s wife Stacy-Lynn entering a local motel well known for illicit activities. Angered, Ray storms off telling Skip to stay out of his private affairs.
The film carries with it an unsettling yet farcical tone. From the opening of the feature, Baker subverts our expectations by playing a reserved and cautious passerby, where it is soon revealed he is very much a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a ruthless and relentless killer. From there on it is hard to discern if any of the main players are who they purport to be, seeding a sense of distrust and intrigue.
Balancing the darkness of Baker’s Harry however is Zahn’s Skip. A ludicrous yet likable fool, the P.I. presents himself as a hustling investigator, vying for the recognition of his law enforcement peers. Often facing the ridicule of the town’s police officers, Zahn’s Skip eventually presents himself as more than a bumbling joke of a detective, conceding the fact that he may be laughed at, but at the same time presenting genuine interest in his work and a surprisingly self-aware and introspective revelation to Magaro’s Ray.
Tying the film together is John Magaro’s defeated Ray. After learning of Stacy-Lynn’s affair and that he won’t be able to secure a loan for her business aspirations, he is ready to throw in he towel. The uninvited imposition and offer of a hit job allows him to explore a much darker and previously unimaginable side to him. As later professed by Ray himself, the man had wished to see what it would be like not to be a pushover. An intense and at times funny character study, the film delivers the man's journey as he learns more about what he is comfortable with and what he can do.
The story develops in unpredictable and abrupt twists and turns, following Ray and Harry, as they both try to piece together and resolve the convoluted mess of a situation involving the hitman, blackmail, a car dealership owner, 250,000$ and a dead lawyer. What the film executes to perfection is the pace at which the story develops, pulling out all the stops and disallowing for any breaks in the journey, maintaining a high lever of suspense infrequently broken up by moments of levity.
Set against the backdrop of middle-of-nowhere southern America, the atmosphere is preset to something reminiscent of the land of outlaws, where the ruthless take what they may and the weak are defenseless against the whims of the mighty. Mirrored in Ray, Magaro delivers a character at his breaking point, tired of being a pushover and starting to take for himself what he believes he deserves.
Resolving on a somber note, the story highlights the chaotic nature of life with its myriad of players all interacting to satisfy their own needs and cementing the fact that no one truly deserves or is entitled to anything. With an insane look at an absurd situation, ‘LaRoy, Texas’ maintains a farcical tone throughout, exacerbated by its highly talented and vibrant cast, delivering an experience full of flavour, exciting machinations and a fair character exploration. Singular in its own capacity as a humorous western noir, ‘LaRoy, Texas’ doesn’t allow for anything less than to be enjoyed and surprised by.
Score: 4/4
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