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Small Engine Repair

Small Engine Repair

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 2021

The seemingly casual reunion of three old friends at an out-of-the-way repair shop masks a hidden agenda fuelled by the arrival of a privileged young yuppie.

Movie details

Small Engine Repair

2021 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

The seemingly casual reunion of three old friends at an out-of-the-way repair shop masks a hidden agenda fuelled by the arrival of a privileged young yuppie.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Small Engine Repair?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

River's Edge

River's Edge

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A group of high-school friends must come to terms with the fact that one of them, Samson, killed another, Jamie. Faced with the brutality of death, each must decide whether to turn their friend in to the police, or to help him escape the consequences of his dreadful deed.

New Jack City

New Jack City

Thriller · 1991

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State of Grace

State of Grace

Drama · 1990

Hell's Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie, a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie's sister Kathleen.

Wasteman

Wasteman

Crime · 2026

Taylor's hopes for a fresh start post-parole are jeopardised by cellmate Dee's arrival. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond, forcing Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own chances at freedom.

Menace II Society

Menace II Society

Drama · 1993

A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.

Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream

Crime · 2000

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

Crime · 1992

A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors -- veteran Mr. White, newcomer Mr. Orange, psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde, bickering weasel Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie -- unravel.

Drugstore Cowboy

Drugstore Cowboy

Drama · 1989

Portland, Oregon, 1971. Bob Hughes is the charismatic leader of a peculiar quartet, formed by his wife, Dianne, and another couple, Rick and Nadine, who skillfully steal from drugstores and hospital medicine cabinets in order to appease their insatiable need for drugs. But neither fun nor luck last forever.

King of New York

King of New York

Thriller · 1990

A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.

Payback

Payback

Action · 1999

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Pollono

Written by

John Pollono

Jon Bernthal

Jon Bernthal

Terrance Swaino

Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham

Patrick 'Packie' Hanrahan

Jordana Spiro

Jordana Spiro

Karen Delgado

John Pollono

John Pollono

Frank Romanowski

Ciara Bravo

Ciara Bravo

Crystal Romanowski

Spencer House

Spencer House

Chad Walker

J

Jennifer Pollono

Dottie

Court is in session

Put Small Engine Repair on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.