| LaRoy, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Shane Atkinson |
| Written by | Shane Atkinson |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Mingjue Hu |
| Edited by | Sebastian Mialik |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Brainstorm Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 112 minutes [1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
LaRoy, Texas is a 2023 American crime comedy film written and directed by Shane Atkinson, and starring John Magaro, Steve Zahn, Megan Stevenson, Matthew Del Negro and Dylan Baker.
The film was released on 12 April 2024.
Plot
Ray, who operates his family-owned hardware store with his brother Junior in a small Texas town, gets from private detective Skip several photographs, taken by chance during a stake-out at a local motel, which indicate his wife Stacy-Lynn's marital infidelity. Distraught, Ray buys a revolver from a gun shop and drives to that motel. While Ray is contemplating suicide, a stranger gets into his car, apparently mistaking Ray for contract killer Harry, who is expected to meet him at the same motel around that time. The stranger hands over to Ray several thousand dollars as half the payment for somebody's assassination, which must be done next day, and leaves him, with a street address on piece of paper amongst the banknotes the only clue as to the target's identity. Harry arrives as Ray drives off. Still refusing to accept that there's anything the matter with his marriage, Ray is inclined to keep the contract money for financing a beauty salon which Stacy-Lynn wants to open; without a clear idea how to carry out a contract killing, he drives to the address and follows the man living there to a bar so clumsily that he's promptly "rumbled". The man forces Ray into his car, where a scuffle quickly develops between them and Ray shoots his opponent dead with the revolver. He dumps the corpse by the roadside, dropping accidentally one of Skip's photographs of Stacy-Lynn next to the body. On his way home he finds out from Junior's wife that the person Stacy-Lynn has been having an affair with is his brother (though he doesn't want to give much credence to that revelation).
Police establish that the killed man is a local lawyer James Barlow, the photo of Ray's wife discovered near Barlow's body makes them suspect her of involvement in his murder. The man who mistook Ray for a hitman finds him at work in the store and tells him that last night he broke into Barlow's office and there was no money in the safe there - he accuses Ray of stealing a large sum out of Barlow's safe, and gives Ray one day to return the stolen money. Ray and Skip visit Barlow's office and find out that Barlow was engaged in a blackmailing case for his client Adam Ledoux, who runs a large car dealership in the town.
In the meantime, Harry locates the bar from which he was called on his mobile phone to make arrangements for a hit on Barlow, and he finds out which waitress could help him with his further inquiries. Ledoux informs Skip and Ray that Barlow was handling the payout of $250,000 for him and his wife to the blackmailer in order to keep the reputation of their dealership as a family-oriented business unsullied by disclosures of Ledoux's philandering. Later Ledoux's wife tells Skip and Ray about Ledoux's gambling addiction and that the payout money was actually hers. Harry pays the waitress from the bar a visit and finds out that it was her boyfriend who put a contract on Barlow in order to get at the payout money; Harry tortures the boyfriend for information and kills him before leaving the waitress alone. Ray recollects that Barlow had a briefcase with him when he was following him, but he didn't it take it into the bar, so it must have been left in Barlow's car, which was towed away on the night when Ray shot Barlow. Skip and Ray locate the car and find the case with money inside it - however, Ray then forces Skip at gunpoint to give it to him, because he still hopes that financing Stacy-Lynn's beauty parlour with that money will put their marriage back on the even keel. When Ray arrives home, Stacy-Lynn and Junior turn him in to the police straightaway (although keeping the briefcase with money to themselves).
Harry ambushes the police vehicle transporting Ray en route to the county jail and shoots dead both of the policemen, during the shootout Ray manages to escape unobserved. When he gets to Junior's house, his brother's wife tells Ray that Junior has left her for Stacy-Lynn and that he has been embezzling money from their hardware store for years. Harry takes Skip captive at gunpoint and calls Ray from Skip's mobile phone, demanding that the money be returned to him. Ray spots his brother's car parked at a motel and finds his wife and Junior in the shower - he shoots his brother dead and announces to Stacy-Lynn that he wants a divorce. When Harry arrives with Skip at the motel, Ray demands that Skip be released first. After exchanging fire with Harry, Ray convinces Skip to take the case with money and leave without him. With both men facing off in a small motel room with their firearms at the ready, Ray asks if Harry would be willing to leave town on Ray's letting him go - Harry declines saying that it's more important to finish the started things. Both of them then fatally injure each other with abdominal gunshot wounds.
The film ends with Skip's stopping his car reluctantly to offer Stacy-Lynn a lift and her hesitantly accepting his offer.
Cast
- John Magaro as Ray
- Steve Zahn as Skip
- Dylan Baker as Harry
- Megan Stevenson as Stacy-Lynn
- Matthew Del Negro as Junior
- Brannon Cross as Brian Tiller
- Vic Browder as James Barlow
- Darcy Shean as Midge LeDoux
- Emily Pendergast as Kayla
- Brad Leland as Adam Ledoux
- Galadriel Stineman as Angie
- Bob Clendenin as Ben Finney
Production
In May 2022, it was announced that Steve Zahn, Jared Harris and John Magaro were cast in the film. [2]
Principal photography began in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico in late August 2022. [3]
Release
LaRoy, Texas premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 8, 2023. [4]
The film was released by Brainstorm Media on April 12, 2024. [5]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 39 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. [6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [7]
Christian Zilko of IndieWire graded the film a B+ and wrote, "Watching LaRoy is a lot like the seedy motel affairs that all of its characters seem to be having — two hours of fun, followed by a tragic feeling of emptiness and a desire for a shower." [8]
Accolades
The film received three awards (Grand Prix of the Jury, Audience Award and International Critics' Award) at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2023. [9]
References
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas (15)". BBFC. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (May 4, 2022). "Cannes: Steve Zahn, Jared Harris, John Magaro Board 'LaRoy' From 'Poms' Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "New Mexico Film Office Announces LaRoy to Begin Filming in New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Film Office. August 22, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Mannarino, Dan; Sanchez, Hazel; Troy, Jayson (June 10, 2023). "Matthew Del Negro speaks on the world premiere of LaRoy at Tribeca Festival". WPIX. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (September 14, 2023). "Thriller LaRoy Starring John Magaro, Steve Zahn & Dylan Baker Sets Release With Brainstorm Media". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (June 8, 2023). "'LaRoy' Review: Steve Zahn Is a Grifting Wannabe Detective in Texas Blackmail Comedy". IndieWire. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (September 10, 2023). "Shane Atkinson's Dark Comedy 'LaRoy' Wins Top Awards at Deauville Festival". Variety. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
External links
| LaRoy, Texas | |
|---|---|
|
Release poster | |
| Directed by | Shane Atkinson |
| Written by | Shane Atkinson |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Mingjue Hu |
| Edited by | Sebastian Mialik |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Brainstorm Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 112 minutes [1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
LaRoy, Texas is a 2023 American crime comedy film written and directed by Shane Atkinson, and starring John Magaro, Steve Zahn, Megan Stevenson, Matthew Del Negro and Dylan Baker.
The film was released on 12 April 2024.
Plot
Ray, who operates his family-owned hardware store with his brother Junior in a small Texas town, gets from private detective Skip several photographs, taken by chance during a stake-out at a local motel, which indicate his wife Stacy-Lynn's marital infidelity. Distraught, Ray buys a revolver from a gun shop and drives to that motel. While Ray is contemplating suicide, a stranger gets into his car, apparently mistaking Ray for contract killer Harry, who is expected to meet him at the same motel around that time. The stranger hands over to Ray several thousand dollars as half the payment for somebody's assassination, which must be done next day, and leaves him, with a street address on piece of paper amongst the banknotes the only clue as to the target's identity. Harry arrives as Ray drives off. Still refusing to accept that there's anything the matter with his marriage, Ray is inclined to keep the contract money for financing a beauty salon which Stacy-Lynn wants to open; without a clear idea how to carry out a contract killing, he drives to the address and follows the man living there to a bar so clumsily that he's promptly "rumbled". The man forces Ray into his car, where a scuffle quickly develops between them and Ray shoots his opponent dead with the revolver. He dumps the corpse by the roadside, dropping accidentally one of Skip's photographs of Stacy-Lynn next to the body. On his way home he finds out from Junior's wife that the person Stacy-Lynn has been having an affair with is his brother (though he doesn't want to give much credence to that revelation).
Police establish that the killed man is a local lawyer James Barlow, the photo of Ray's wife discovered near Barlow's body makes them suspect her of involvement in his murder. The man who mistook Ray for a hitman finds him at work in the store and tells him that last night he broke into Barlow's office and there was no money in the safe there - he accuses Ray of stealing a large sum out of Barlow's safe, and gives Ray one day to return the stolen money. Ray and Skip visit Barlow's office and find out that Barlow was engaged in a blackmailing case for his client Adam Ledoux, who runs a large car dealership in the town.
In the meantime, Harry locates the bar from which he was called on his mobile phone to make arrangements for a hit on Barlow, and he finds out which waitress could help him with his further inquiries. Ledoux informs Skip and Ray that Barlow was handling the payout of $250,000 for him and his wife to the blackmailer in order to keep the reputation of their dealership as a family-oriented business unsullied by disclosures of Ledoux's philandering. Later Ledoux's wife tells Skip and Ray about Ledoux's gambling addiction and that the payout money was actually hers. Harry pays the waitress from the bar a visit and finds out that it was her boyfriend who put a contract on Barlow in order to get at the payout money; Harry tortures the boyfriend for information and kills him before leaving the waitress alone. Ray recollects that Barlow had a briefcase with him when he was following him, but he didn't it take it into the bar, so it must have been left in Barlow's car, which was towed away on the night when Ray shot Barlow. Skip and Ray locate the car and find the case with money inside it - however, Ray then forces Skip at gunpoint to give it to him, because he still hopes that financing Stacy-Lynn's beauty parlour with that money will put their marriage back on the even keel. When Ray arrives home, Stacy-Lynn and Junior turn him in to the police straightaway (although keeping the briefcase with money to themselves).
Harry ambushes the police vehicle transporting Ray en route to the county jail and shoots dead both of the policemen, during the shootout Ray manages to escape unobserved. When he gets to Junior's house, his brother's wife tells Ray that Junior has left her for Stacy-Lynn and that he has been embezzling money from their hardware store for years. Harry takes Skip captive at gunpoint and calls Ray from Skip's mobile phone, demanding that the money be returned to him. Ray spots his brother's car parked at a motel and finds his wife and Junior in the shower - he shoots his brother dead and announces to Stacy-Lynn that he wants a divorce. When Harry arrives with Skip at the motel, Ray demands that Skip be released first. After exchanging fire with Harry, Ray convinces Skip to take the case with money and leave without him. With both men facing off in a small motel room with their firearms at the ready, Ray asks if Harry would be willing to leave town on Ray's letting him go - Harry declines saying that it's more important to finish the started things. Both of them then fatally injure each other with abdominal gunshot wounds.
The film ends with Skip's stopping his car reluctantly to offer Stacy-Lynn a lift and her hesitantly accepting his offer.
Cast
- John Magaro as Ray
- Steve Zahn as Skip
- Dylan Baker as Harry
- Megan Stevenson as Stacy-Lynn
- Matthew Del Negro as Junior
- Brannon Cross as Brian Tiller
- Vic Browder as James Barlow
- Darcy Shean as Midge LeDoux
- Emily Pendergast as Kayla
- Brad Leland as Adam Ledoux
- Galadriel Stineman as Angie
- Bob Clendenin as Ben Finney
Production
In May 2022, it was announced that Steve Zahn, Jared Harris and John Magaro were cast in the film. [2]
Principal photography began in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico in late August 2022. [3]
Release
LaRoy, Texas premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 8, 2023. [4]
The film was released by Brainstorm Media on April 12, 2024. [5]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 39 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. [6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [7]
Christian Zilko of IndieWire graded the film a B+ and wrote, "Watching LaRoy is a lot like the seedy motel affairs that all of its characters seem to be having — two hours of fun, followed by a tragic feeling of emptiness and a desire for a shower." [8]
Accolades
The film received three awards (Grand Prix of the Jury, Audience Award and International Critics' Award) at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2023. [9]
References
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas (15)". BBFC. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (May 4, 2022). "Cannes: Steve Zahn, Jared Harris, John Magaro Board 'LaRoy' From 'Poms' Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "New Mexico Film Office Announces LaRoy to Begin Filming in New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Film Office. August 22, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Mannarino, Dan; Sanchez, Hazel; Troy, Jayson (June 10, 2023). "Matthew Del Negro speaks on the world premiere of LaRoy at Tribeca Festival". WPIX. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (September 14, 2023). "Thriller LaRoy Starring John Magaro, Steve Zahn & Dylan Baker Sets Release With Brainstorm Media". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "LaRoy, Texas". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (June 8, 2023). "'LaRoy' Review: Steve Zahn Is a Grifting Wannabe Detective in Texas Blackmail Comedy". IndieWire. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (September 10, 2023). "Shane Atkinson's Dark Comedy 'LaRoy' Wins Top Awards at Deauville Festival". Variety. Retrieved September 10, 2023.