Small Crimes (2017) User Reviews

A story about second chances and those who (don't) deserve them

[farkaspal · 7/10 · 7 May 2017]

The background comes in bits and pieces and it takes time to put those pieces together for the viewer, but despite what many other reviews stated, it's a coherent, layered story, and one that leaves you thinking afterwards.

Beneath the upper layer, which is a crime story with good number of twists and characters, there is a story about second chances and lost cases, and the invisible line that separates the two. It's also a story about realizing there are things you can not amend, no matter how hard you try. The protagonist did a lot of awful things in the past, he messed up his own life and that of his family on several accounts. He served his time and he just wants a clean slate. Now, the question raised by the movie is if he did change and become a better man, and more importantly, irrespective of becoming a better man or not, does he really have a second chance in life, or it's just a false hope that he can't let go of. We get some hints throughout the film, that despite his doomed situation, he at least tries to do better, but probably not hard enough, and makes the same mistakes he did before he went to jail. His final and biggest tragedy is that he fails to realize that he reached the point where the world would be a better place without him for all those who are (or should be) important for him. Maybe because he just can't let go of his hope for a second chance, even though it's already lost.

Well acted and sad movie about a lost case.

Brutal, twisted

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 7/10 · 10 June 2017]

Netflix's Small Crimes is a bitter, barren, gnarled piece of work that leaves an uneasy vacuum in the air as it passes. If you haven't heard of it yet, that's because the platform does almost zero promotion when new content comes off the assembly line, quietly slipping it onto the site without so much as a TV spot. Some are forgettable, and some are gems that could have done with a bit of buildup. This one is like David Mamet, Cormac McCarthy and Elmore Leonard sipping whiskey sours one cold, empty night and brainstorming ideas. I love the time honoured themes presented here, but what I love and admire more is the filmmaker's courage in completely subverting, perverting and putrefying the formula. There's countless films about disgraced cops, criminals or what- have-you who return home to a small town with designs on putting the wrong things right and finding a modicum of redemption. Thing is, in 99.999% of these films, we end up with a happy ending where all the kinks are ironed out and bygones are left as such, a trend which really cripples the stakes and grinds our expectations down with a blunt, predictable Hollywood ending. Not this one. Nikolai Koster-Waldau, aka Jamie Lannister, is a wiry, cracked out ex con who used to be a cop, before he viciously, and I do mean viciously, sliced up the town DA at the behest of a crime kingpin. Moping back into the county following a six year stretch in the pen, it's inevitable that his very presence will stir up a few noxious vibes. Sure enough, he runs into trouble from all angles, including the vengeful DA (", looking like he shaves with a wheat thresher), a scummy corrupt detective (Gary Cole eats up the dialogue like candy), the mobsters he used to be employed by, and even his parents (Robert Forster & Jacki Weaver), who are clearly broken by the past. There's a feeling of inescapable doom, an inevitable choking quicksand that Waldau wades deeper into, his seemingly noble intent on reconnecting with his wife and daughters gradually ground away to reveal the true nature of his path, and it ain't pretty. Gary Cole has a way with words and mannerisms, and he runs away with his bent cop role, stealing scenes like nobody's business. Forster has salt of the earth gravitas in spades, and nails a near career best scene with clear eyed conviction, nailing our attention to his presence. It's not a perfect film though, there's pacing issues, sometimes it gets a little vague or scattered and a romantic subplot involving a nurse (Molly Parker) seems glaringly out of place. Waldau anchors it though, a twitchy, unpredictable ne'er do well who seems cosmically incapable of getting his act together. The ending floored my expectations and remind that there is hope for fresh narratives and abstract thinking amongst writers. You'll come out of this one bruised, but you'll be glad you sat through the beating.

Film noir for today

[jamerkk · 7/10 · 24 March 2019]

A chuckle here and there but more of a dark tale of a irredeemably flawed character.

1 Of 3 Netflix Gems From 2017

[PCT1970 · 7/10 · 10 May 2019]

E.L. Katz directs and co-writes an appreciable crime drama. I knew this film was going to be beguiling from the first scene when Joe, the central character, explains to the prison's chaplain about how he has changed during his jail stint. Upon leaving the chaplain asks Joe, "Would you like to take communion"? Joe replies, "Oh no. I'm all good". This film has considerable direction, cinematography, screenplay and acting. All of the artists involved deliver appreciable performances with Forster, Parker, Weaver and Cole standing out, but Coster-Waldau commands the screen. The plot revolves around Joe Denton who is a former cop being released from jail after serving a six year sentence. He returns to his hometown feeling the need to seek absolution for his past actions. His first goal is to reunite with his children, but they have moved and no one in the family wants Joe near the children due to the chaos he causes. Joe was in debt to a mob boss, Manny for gambling. Joe and another cop Dan had to repay Manny by carrying out any task he assigned. One task leads to the death of Joe's partner, Billy and the disfigurement of an attorney, Phil. Upon his release Phil sets a trap using his daughter Cara but Joe defends himself and brutally beats the men off. Cara is terrified and unwilling to testify against Joe. Phil informs Joe that he can press charges against the men but he's not interested. Joe takes a verbal thrashing from Dan who tells him he'd kill him in Phil wasn't in the room and calls him a Judas. Joe simply wants to put everything in the past and seek redemption. Soon after Joe and Dan meet in a ballpark only to find out that Dan drags Joe back into trouble. He gives Joe cash that was owed to him from six years earlier and then informs him that Manny is on his death bed, has embraced religion and is going to spill the beans on everyone's past. Joe must dispose of Manny. During Joe's quest for vindication and trying to carry out his task he learns that Phil wants the chair for him, he meets Manny's hospice worker Charlotte and takes a severe beating from Manny's son Junior. Joe's attempt to take out Manny is interrupted and Dan suggests he take out Phil instead. Dan threatens Joe's family and insists there can not be an indictment. Joe can't bring himself to killing Phil but through a prostitute comes up with a plan to bribe Phil so nobody gets hurt. He plants a video camera at a set up in a hotel room, but things don't go as planned and two deaths occur in the room. All the while Joe is building a relationship with Charlotte and is trying to rebuild a relationship with his congenial father and harassing mother. Charlotte believes in second chances and steps in to handle Manny, but gets caught in the act. This leads to a showdown at Junior's quarry when all of the sudden the brother of Joe's slain partner, Scotty shows up and all hell breaks loose. Joe also gets a call from Dan congratulating him on a job well done with Phil, but Joe has no idea what he's talking about. In the end Joe returns home to collect his stash of money with the intention of giving it to his kids, but his father will have nothing to do with that. The plot is crisp, clever, insightful, duplicitous, intelligent and has a cathartic ending. There are some themes in this film. Through a discussion between Joe and his father we learn that Joe is not a product of his upbringing or environment. His actions are due to his inner-self and narcissism. We also learn that sometimes redemption can only be achieved through self sacrifice. Bygones be bygones and apologizing just doesn't cut it. This is a competent film in it's genre. It's actually one of three Netflix Originals that were released in 2017 that are hidden gems considering some of the abysmal content available. The other two films are, "Shimmer Lake" and "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore". That's just my opinion.

Engaging but not quite what I was expecting

[lauraj515 · 7/10 · 30 April 2017]

I enjoyed Small Crimes and would recommend it with two caveats. Based on the trailers for the film and even the beginning of the film, I expected there to be more dark humor (of the absurd variety). Like 'how can this guy have SO much bad luck'. It very quickly turns away from this direction. Also, there are a lot of players, and the film takes very little time to help the viewer understand each players roles. That being said, you definitely get the gist well enough, and it certainly keeps you intrigued enough to want to see the whole thing through.

Great acting, pointless plot

[lighterthanair-82569 · 4/10 · 22 November 2020]

With such a talented cast, you'd expect a script that made a point, had a moral, or at least left you satisfied. It pretty much made me want to jump off a bridge it was so intentionally downbeat, even though I generally rewatch anything Macon Blair works on. Gary Cole's character delivers some witty sarcasm, but there is nothing "black comedy" about this. BTW Gary Cole was outstanding, I've probably seen him before but he never really stood out like this. Not really a spoiler here, but if you do watch the movie, keep an eye on the character who consistently maintains dignity and the higher ground, you'll know who it is, and watch what she/he does at the end. If you think there's any sense or logic or deeper meaning to that... well... you won't, and there isn't. Better to watch Blue Ruin or The Green Room.

This film was felt like a sequel

[MovieIQTest · 30 April 2017]

There are lot of background history spare parts in this film looked more like a sequel to an earlier film but there's actually no such prequel, so we viewers got to connect the dots by ourselves, but still, it gave you the feeling of a nicely directed and well acted film, didn't give you any B movie like lousy taste. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau used this film to show us he could really act, a total different role from what he played in "Game of Throne", and he was very very good to prove he can be an A list actor.

But even so, this film are missing a lot details that should came from another earlier film.

Contained Elements that Could Have Made for A Good Film

[leftbanker-1 · 7/10 · 30 April 2017]

I HIGHLY recommend that you read the novel before watching the train-wreck of a movie.

At first opaque, later vague, a bit further it's confusing, and after 40 minutes in I have no idea of just what is going on. Before we have any freaking idea of what is happening, or what happened, or what will happen we are served something of a romance. I just think that you need to put your cards on the table a little sooner than way later. It reminded me of the children's game of telephone and by the time the story got around to the viewers it had turned into quite a mess.

What we are left with is a shell of a story and a broken individual. Just how he got this way and why are things lost in the oblique telling of what led up to the events in the film.

I'm kind of tired of all the ex HBO or wherever hack actors sneaking in to movies. They may have been good the first time around and it was great because they were fresh. Now they aren't so fresh so go and find new people, please. But this is just me talking and I hate movie stars.

P. S. I wish that I had read the book first; the movie would have made a lot more sense.

Confusing and not in the least comedic

[stormy724 · 4/10 · 6 May 2017]

The summary states this is a black comedy, but I found nothing at all funny in it. I don't think I even cracked a smile. For me, it was a tragedy about a man released from jail determined to make amends and live a better life, but no matter what he does, it all goes wrong. Everyone is determined to undermine him, including his family.

The back story seeps out a tiny bit at a time, but I still found it confusing. In the end I wasn't sure what exact crime had put him in jail. I admit I found it less than engaging, so maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.

I also couldn't figure out why, after a couple of bad incidents and threats, he didn't just leave town and start a new life elsewhere. Thomas Wolfe was right ---"You can't go home again" - --especially not a former cop who spent time in jail.

If you're looking for a a fun comedy, this is not it.

One of the better crime flicks of late

[matty_mushroom1983 · 7/10 · 25 December 2021]

Joe's a narcissist and his trail of inevitable poisoning of the lives around him are displayed matter of factly.

The way he manipulates people does have attention drawn to it, rather it's portrayed through the actions of the people who support him( If you haven't experienced an NPD person before you may not recognise it)

I was expecting Joe to be the usual unstoppable tough but trotted out in this genre...know you, the guy who's either extensively trained by army, special forces and the like and goes out for revenge or to stop some bad dudes (usually Liam Neeson plays these guys). Here we have a real dude who suffers for his cognitive lack of fighting skills.

Also refreshing to see a cast of people I've never heard of putting on some good performances.

All up, it was a lot more realistic than the usual crime/action trope, but still kept some intensity for comical effect.

Pointless

[ciprianai · 3/10 · 2 May 2017]

The film seems to be building something from the beginning only to come to a confusing pointless end. It doesn't make any sense. Loving parents, by the way. Cheers for not getting all that time back. Too bad the cast, the performances and the technique used to film it had a high standard, although the screenplay is bad. Seems like it has been written by a schizo who got bored at the end.

The kind of film Netflix should be making

[macnabs-1 · 8/10 · 3 August 2018]

Don't believe the low rating. This is an excellent drama, well written, well acted, well directed.

Something about it works

[vovers1 · 6/10 · 1 July 2019]

It has all the makings of a pretty awfully put together B movie but something about it clicks and keeps one watching. Definitely no good guys anywhere in sight. Lots of pretty bad writing and mediocre plot direction. I was looking forward to a happier ending then we got - but I guess there far too many second chances in this mix.

Terrible, just terrible...

[stp4883 · 1/10 · 20 July 2019]

I don't know what the hell the previous reviewer is talking about...This is such a disaster on every level it hurts the head to even give it a few more minutes of time in your life to contemplate the story, the character's actions, this small town...It is really a total disaster and I lasted right to the end...What the hell were Gary Cole & Robert Forster doing in this?!? Quick payday perhaps? Beware, you've been warned.

Too much negativity

[Gordon-11 · 5 September 2017]

This film tells the story of a disgraced policeman, who served years in prison for killing another man while he was drunk. After his release from prison, he has to live under the ghost of his past.

I'm not sure why the film is called "Small Crime", as none of the crimes displayed are small. The way people treat each other in the film is horrendous, as they insult, physically and emotionally hurt each other all the time. It's full of negativity, and I don't like the film.

Good.... potentially misunderstood

[robmilnerfhm-63116 · 7/10 · 13 October 2021]

There is one scene where the father talks of narcissistic personality disorder, this is a theme that runs pretty deep through the film. This explains his lack of emotions in some of the scenes.

So I would say the film is a good depiction of this (or the potential of it).

Even they sum up to ...

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 9 January 2018]

A criminal stays a criminal? Or can he change? Especially when he so desperately tries to reconnect with his family. Well both of his families. His parents but also his Ex and their kids. But Ghosts of the past are not so easily shaken. So this movie carries a lot of weight (or the main character in this case) and it does weigh heavy even on the viewer.

Not an easy task or the most pleasant movie to watch. But one that is intriguing. Does the movie have flaws? Yes it does and some will absolutely dislike that ending. But it is what it is and even without saying too much, it gets the point across at that moment. And while some may have wished for a cut, the camera has to stay and give us the whole picture and the whole - let's call it solution ... Whatever you think, there is Drama, there is tension and it all is played by very fine actors to a degree that make this more than watchable

X con desperately seeking his daughters and X wife

[dale-51649 · 4/10 · 1 May 2017]

The story starts off promising, with a realistic looking prison scene and the protagonist being released. He goes home to a not too goofy looking white trash family, and the set up for a good story (or narrative in today's lingo) is arranged. Problem is, the story quickly becomes confusing. The acting is good, scenery not too phony, but it's just tough to figure out what is going on.

We are introduced to the protagonists parents, as well as some gnarly looking people from the past. However, the blanks are never filled in. The Mom is really down on the main guys behavior, but we are not sure why. Was he a sociopath who deserved her wrath? Or is he an OK guy with a loony mother? There are also some obnoxious "bad guy" looking and acting characters, but we never really know if they are valid when they beat up the main character, or if they are just evil.

This is the sort of film that looks like they had the cash to hire some good actors and directors, then ran out of money before they could hire a writer. What they end up doing is the old "FOR THE CHILDREN" routine. He is desperately trying to find his daughters, whom he has not seen since before prison, and give them all of his money.

We are suppose to believe that if a man can only have that one more meeting with his daughters, that he will be complete and fulfilled, even if he is never allowed to see them again. He explains this to his father, who believes he is not even deserving of this. What? a guy is so evil he is not even allowed to give some cash to his daughters? Yea, right. Even our society doesn't believe a guy is too evil to give money. It goes with the new Hollywood mantra "women and kids can do whatever they want, men don't matter".

Good acting, Realistic Family tensions

[sofia-34566 · 7/10 · 17 January 2019]

I really enjoyed this film, I found the acting very good and the portrayal of the parents very realistic. Some say that they found the story confusing, because it doesn't explain fully what happened in the past and he ended up in prison. I think this background story details are irrelevant and not the point. Others say that he tries desperately to make amends and reconnect with his family and that his misfortune puts him in a mess. The way I see it is that he doesn't do enough at all, he never really regretted what he did, never reflected on his actions and took responsibility of the consequences that they caused, never truly changed. Yes we see some remorse at times and some effort to do the right thing, but at the end he keeps making the wrong choices. If he had really changed, he had to do more and accept that his actions put him in this position and will take time to fix things. His mother is spot on when she tries to talk to him,but he ddoesn't listen, he always rushes away and plays the victim. His actions caused so much death and pain in the end, a normal person would feel devastated, would take a step back and would think to stay away from loved ones in order to protect them. Finally, I enjoyed the black comedy elements in the portrayal of the weird cat lady that becomes his new girlfriend.

Confusing and depressing

[rum2550 · 5/10 · 15 December 2019]

Movie starts off in a promising manner giving the impression of a thriller. However, I had a really hard time understanding the relationship between characters until very late. It was like watching the last episode of a TV show without having any idea about previous ones. Although its theme was interesting, it became too depressing and did not feel like it did the justice for the one and half hours I spent on this.

Crime doesn't pay.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 12 January 2021]

Although the chronologigal order of the story was a bit confusing at times in the end it all comes together. Maybe not the easiest to follow in the beginning but the story is entertaining to watch. The cinematography wasn't bad, the acting from the whole cast looked all professional. Another movie with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau that shows he isn't a bad actor at all. There is enough action to keep the pace in the story, so you never get really bored. Worth a watch in my opinion.

Boring

[gianmarcoronconi · 1/10 · 16 December 2021]

Senseless and soulless movie that leaves you absolutely nothing in the end. Not much worth seeing, truly forgettable. It can't even entertain and it's boring.

Modern Noir Film for those who 'get' noir stories

[milesarcher-72921 · 8/10 · 2 May 2017]

Skimming the previous reviews, it appears a lot of folks aren't 'getting' what noir stories are all about. If you love 'Double Indemnity' or 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', then you should enjoy 'Small Crimes'. If you want your stories straightforward with resolutions that leave you feeling that 'all's right with the world' then this isn't your bag, man; or perhaps not 'your cup of tea', mate.

As for execution of the film itself, the director's worked very much in the classic noir style, but with a modern interpretation. There is no rambling around with the story, all the dialogue and early scenes set up the increasingly rapid spiral of destruction. That's what 'noir' is all about, so if you don't get that, you've not seen or read the works that make up this genre...or you just don't like noir.

I'd liken it, in a way, to 'Memento', which I loved the first time I saw it, and freely admit I didn't understand a lot of it until the end...and which point all I wanted to do was watch it again to see what I know I'd missed the first time. Small Crimes is that sort of movie, you'll want to watch it again and pick up all the subtle cues you missed the first time around. I found the very end to be perfect, and so subtle you might miss the implications. This isn't some green-screen flick to watch when you're brain dead. It's weird, wild, terrifying, the characters are real people you care about...even the 'bad' guys.

I said there are spoilers because I don't want to take the chance someone might think there's one in here. Other reviewers have made the story line fairly clear, so there's no need for me to do that yet again.

What happens when you put the wrong actor with all the right ones

[axekicker78 · 6/10 · 3 August 2019]

The movie, itself, is a fun spiral downwards, nicely paced for the most part. Trouble is, the lead is really badly cast, and doesn't deliver in this context. His Danish accent keeps slipping through, and his veteran co-stars eat his lunch in literally every scene. It's the rest of the cast that makes this film worth watching, Every character is more interesting and relatable than the main character because the guy playing him simply isn't in their league as character actor. He's just wrong for the part. I get that he was in GOT, so it made sense marketing-wise to cast him, but it does him no favors to put him up against guys like Gary Cole among others who just take this guy to the cleaners. Even the tertiary characters steal the scenes from this guy. It's crazy. And a real lesson in filmmaking. Make sure you cast the lead properly. Because if your supporting cast is amazing, they'll make your lead look worse than he actually is, and leave you with a lead nobody cares about.

boring.

[mahmoodito · 3/10 · 29 May 2020]

I didn't Like the idea of the movie, the acting was not bad, I was waiting for the movie to finsh becuase i wasn't enjoy, the onley reason wich made me Continue watching was the events Although some of them were illogical.

In short the movie was not very bad but i didn't Like.