Small Engine Repair

Frank Romanowski runs a small repair shop in New Hampshire, and one night three old school friends gather there as bad weather keeps them indoors. What looks like a casual reunion carries an ulterior motive, and the arrival of Chad, a wealthy young man with a privileged background, sets off resentment the men have been holding for years. The film adapts John Pollono's play of the same name, which he also turned into the screenplay.

Pollono directs and plays Frank, with Jon Bernthal as Terrance Swaino and Shea Whigham as Patrick Hanrahan, while Jordana Spiro and Ciara Bravo appear as Karen Delgado and Crystal Romanowski. The production was handled by Vertical Entertainment, Tapestry Films, Whitewater Films and The Story Factory, with Pollono, Bernthal and Rick Rosenthal among the producers.

Released in September 2021 and running 102 minutes, the crime drama drew a 7.2 out of 10 from critics across 51 reviews, a warmer response than its audience scores, 6.5 on IMDb from around 6,000 votes and 6.1 on TMDB from roughly a hundred. The film is Pollono's first as director, following his work writing the screenplay for Stronger.