But it lacks one of the most important elements of this specific sub-genre, and that is a captivating script.

| Original Score: C+ | Feb 25, 2025

LaRoy, Texas is full of Coen brothers-style charm, with its dark humor, absurd interludes, and existential middle-of-nowhere location combined with a solid level of bloody violence and characters you can't help but root for.

| Jul 9, 2024

A uniformly excellent cast keeps the pace going, right to the inevitably bloody climax.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 1, 2024

Zany Coen brothers-like comedy thriller.

| Original Score: B+ | May 20, 2024

With Larroy, Texas, Atkinson proves himself a confident filmmaker and screenwriter with an ear for dialogue and skill in designing intriguing characters and situations.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Apr 29, 2024

LaRoy offers its own share of intrigue in no country for men—or for that matter, people in general--who want to move forward in life.

| Apr 22, 2024

The cast does excellent work in LaRoy, Texas. Magaro excels at playing the sad, hapless husband, while Zahn entertains as the hilarious and slightly idiotic Skip.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 19, 2024

“LaRoy, Texas” remains as unpredictable as an overly agitated Texas rattlesnake and has just about as much bite to it.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 17, 2024

“LaRoy, Texas” is a fun, slightly melancholic ride, and if you love crime films, you’ll be glad you took it.

| Apr 16, 2024

The film is a lightweight but still enjoyable take on a Fargo-esque story.

| Apr 16, 2024

This darkly funny tale of hard luck cases, corrupt dimwits and stone-cold killers packs a satisfying punch.

| Apr 16, 2024

Magaro and Zahn are an inspired pairing.

| Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Apr 13, 2024

LaRoy, Texas channels the Coen brothers in a hilarious black comedy with tragic twists. John Magaro, Steve Zahn, and a terrifying Dylan Baker are superb in a film that continually surprises. LaRoy, Texas is a must-see.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Apr 13, 2024

Indulging in genre influences while carving its own narrative niche, this dark crime comedy infuses its Fargo-style atmospherics with sharp dialogue and compelling characters.

| Apr 13, 2024

It’s less a Fargo knockoff and more like a love letter to it, with shades of No Country for Old Men thrown in for good measure.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 12, 2024

Atkinson’s hilarious feature debut is a barn burner of a western-thriller whose Coen Brothers-inspired nods give life to its meek protagonist.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 12, 2024

The film might not get as dark as it potentially should after a very effective prologue, but the bleak nature of the finale's "justice" does what it can to provide closure for the characters and the tone.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 12, 2024

Would this movie be possible without the example of the Coen brothers? Probably not. But Shane Atkinson had the sense to steal from the best.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 12, 2024

LaRoy, Texas isn’t exactly a buddy film. It’s an ensemble cast that comes together in twos and threes never crowding the screen or overwhelming the story. It doesn’t rely on overt humor, but the subtle absurdity from everyday incompetence.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 12, 2024

[E]ven as the mystery ... become[s] convoluted, it's still fun to see how the characters involved in implementing and uncovering this elaborate scheme will react...

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 12, 2024