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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

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.5 / 10

6K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

78 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

57 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

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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New Jack City

New Jack City

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The Departed

The Departed

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To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.

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.

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.

Little Odessa

Little Odessa

Drama · 1994

Long separated from his family, hitman Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.

We Die Young

We Die Young

Drama · 2019

Lucas, a 14-year-old boy inducted into the gang life in Washington D.C., is determined that his 10-year-old brother won't follow the same path. When an Afghanistan war veteran comes into the neighborhood, an opportunity arises.

Where it lives

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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

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.