Small Town Murder Songs 2010

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Beneath a deceptive calm, it uncovers a core of fear and loathing as ominous as the backwoods world of "Winter's Bone." Read more

David Fear, Time Out: A redemption parable that occasionally finds balladlike lyricism in its biblical solemnity and oddball Lynchian rhythms. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: "Small Town Murder Songs" moves so deliberately, with such confident authority, that every small event takes on cumulative significance... Read more

Alison Willmore, AV Club: The soundtrack ... goes miles toward making what would be an unmanageably dour experience into an acute emotional resonance; the songs are freed to say more than the characters onscreen. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: An effective ensemble backed by a bracingly haunting soundtrack strike a compelling chord in this rural Canadian crime drama. Read more

Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail: STMS succeeds as an Ontario Gothic mood piece, a story of alternately repressed and exploding passion. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Rarely does cinema sight and sound mesh as boldly as this, and it's all to the good. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: With his second feature, GassDonnelly achieves that longed-for thing, a whole greater than the parts, one in which each disparate element complements the other. Read more

Mark Holcomb, Village Voice: Boldly succinct yet confident enough to take its time. Read more