nzswanny Although the dark tone of this movie may not be to everyone's liking, this film chooses intentionally and wisely to be downbeat and realistic without ever showing off it's own dark realism, therefore creating itself to be a film that will have very divided feedback and that's the main reason why I like it. This Netflix Original movie starts off with a scene that resembles the opening scene of The Godfather, possibly the most analyzed film scene of all time, containing similar cinematography, style and context and at the same time introducing the main character of the film for us viewers. Joe Denton is a kind man with a troubling past of small crimes and he is speaking to another man named Chaplin on the day that he is escaping prison, and this conversation between the main character, Joe Denton, and Chaplin held my interest because of how interesting the dialogue was. With good films like this one, scenes where you feel like you should be bored don't bore you at all and actually hold your interest, and what makes this opening scene so good is that it grasps our attention simply with good dialogue and camera work. Cinematography is a key ingredient for visual storytelling and the director of this film is aware of that, so he uses cinematography that catches the dark, realistic atmosphere of the film and in good taste without ever overusing it, always using it for important moments. Along with the cinematography is the humour which has been given very divided feedback from critics; to sum up the humour in this film, it is very straight-forward and cynical, and although it's not for everyone it's a damn fine treat for fans of black comedy. In fact I thought most of the critics would appreciate the wittiness of the cynical humour in this...the film isn't one of those "good popcorn feel-good" romantic comedies starring Goldie Hawn but the film is a "good popcorn feel-ashamed" black comedy starring Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau and isn't that better?It's a subtle black comedy and you can treat it as such, however you can also treat it as a serious crime drama. It's thought-provoking, interesting, visually great and containing the needed flow of a good film and if that sounds good to you give it a watch. After all, Netflix is providing us with films and we should be supporting their good work so they know what other kind of films to create. If you'd rather watch a sweet sentimental tale about a boy and his lost puppy however, go elsewhere.

NateWatchesCoolMovies 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.

stormy724 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.

ciprianai 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.