If you haven't heard of "Small Engine Repair" before, don't worry — you're not alone. This dark thriller brought in just over $110,000 at the box office in 2021, meaning I was probably only one of a relatively small group of people who saw it. But I'm glad I did because it was one of my favorite movies of the year.
It also features one of my favorite Jon Bernthal performances. For a starring cast of just four people, it's fairly loaded thanks to the casting of Bernthal and Shea Whigham, but there's a reason for that. This twisted drama is actually based on the 2011 play of the same name, and in the film version Bernthal and writer/director John Pollono both reprise their starring roles from that production.
But again, there's a good chance that you haven't seen this movie. So let's dive into the plot of "Small Engine Repair" and why it's a must-watch before it leaves Hulu at the end of January.
What is 'Small Engine Repair' about?
"Small Engine Repair" stars writer/director John Pollono as Frank Romanowski. Frank owns a small engine repair shop in Manchester, New Hampshire. He grew up with childhood friends Terrance Swaino (Jon Bernthal) and Packie Hanrahan (Shea Whigham) but thanks to a rocky past and self-destructive events the trio had a falling out after Frank nearly beats a man to death in a barroom brawl.
But Frank is now a model citizen. The ex-convict is on the straight and narrow with a small business, his recovery from alcoholism is going well and his daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo) is headed to college. So he calls up Swaino and Packie and gets them together to put their rocky past behind them and renew their friendship.
He even goes as far as to invite a young college student Chad (Spencer House) over to provide some drugs to really liven up the party. This surprises Swaino and Packie at first but they eventually accept that Chad is part of the night's revelry. He is, but that's where this movie takes a dark twisted turn that takes it from comedy-drama to thriller.
This movie is gripping, but not for the faint of heart
As you can tell from the score in the trailer, it's no secret that what initially feels like a heartwarming story of three friends reconnecting turns into a dark drama once Chad arrives. And by the end of the trailer, you have some idea why.
It turns out that Chad isn't just some random college student. He (for reasons yet unknown) has ruined the life of Frank's college-bound daughter Crystal and Frank wants vengeance. He wants to kill Chad, and the real reason he's invited Swaino and Packie over is to help him do exactly that.
It's a twist that you see coming, even without seeing the trailer. But remarkably, it's still satisfying even though the movie has been hinting that Chad's involvement in the night is more than just the trio's drug dealer.
While some critics notably did not love this dark turn from comedy-drama into thriller, most critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes share my opinion that this movie, while not perfect, is a very satisfying movie to watch. A lot of that rests on the acting performance of the movie's talented cast, who are able to expertly make the shift from a comedy-drama to a dark twisted thriller. Lesser actors may have seen the movie's twists and turns fall flat, though it's worth noting that the original 2011 play did win awards and praise, so it's not like the cast is working from inferior source material. Provided you can handle some of the movie's darker moments and themes, you should watch "Small Engine Repair" before it leaves Hulu at the end of the month.
Stream "Small Engine Repair" now on Hulu
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