Small Engine Repair

Small Engine Repair is little more than 103 minutes of a would-be provocation whose only real advantage is that it's ultimately too dopey to be as offensive as it clearly could have been.

Small Engine Repair is a real American horror story, skillfully shot, perfectly cast and acted, and carrying a sorrowful message that resonates with brutal truth.

Ultimately, the story still feels unfinished, and Pollono's direction falters in the film's big twist, when it tries to balance horror and humor before its tidy resolution.

It isn't as impressive as one of Martin McDonagh's works - which it sometimes goes for - but it still has Bernthal, who galvanizes every scene he's in.

The results, although sporadically arresting, feel awkward, like a child wearing clothing a few sizes too big.

The last 40 minutes or so constitute a tense exercise in claustrophobic suspense...It's here that "Small Engine Repair" may be at its stagiest but it's here where it's also at its best.

The film’s best quality is the character work by its three leads, who embrace the qualities of their types for comedic effect, and transcend them for dramatic effect.

A gem on many different levels.

...a striking debut for an exceedingly promising new filmmaker.

At first glance, one may find John Pollono's characters drawn in broad strokes, but reserve judgment because layers will be revealed, subtly and perceptively, as the bigger picture on societal roles, class struggle and modern technology emerges.