On
Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 79%, based on reviews from 19 critics, with an average score of 6.07/10. On
Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Stephen Cole from
The Globe and Mail wrote a positive review, saying, "STMS succeeds as an Ontario Gothic mood piece". Michael Rechtshafen of
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that
Small Town Murder Songs is "An effective ensemble backed by a bracingly haunting soundtrack" after its screening at the
Santa Barbara International Film Festival; he also saw similarities with ''Winter's Bone'' and found "much to admire about this carefully drawn but concise character sketch, especially the strong performances and a unique, affectingly ominous score by folk-rock-gospel outfit
Bruce Peninsula... The already dense ambience gets progressively heavier as the investigation continues, with Gass-Donnelly keeping a tight grip on the artful compositions. But as strong as those visuals are, what really ends up lingering long after the lights come up, is that
Greek chorus of a soundtrack, its fire-and-brimstone, gothic-tinged take on traditional and original
spirituals packing an unsettling, pious punch." Dustin Hucks with
Ain't It Cool News also saw the film at The
Santa Barbara International Film Festival and said, "
Small Town Murder Songs is definitely a winner in the stable of films showing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year". Holden of the
New York Times wrote that the film "is not really a whodunit but a character study of a man squeezed in a psychological, spiritual and professional vise...
Small Town Murder Songs is compellingly acted from top to bottom. As the raw passions of its hard-bitten characters seep into you, the songs hammer them even more deeply into your consciousness. The film's only flaw — a big one — is its brevity. When it ends after 76 minutes, you are left wishing it had included Walter's back story and had offered a more detailed picture of the town." Robert Bell from
Exclaim! had pleasant things to say about the film, stating that there were "some impressive cinematography and an understanding of tone through stillness and minor stylization make for a pleasant experience aesthetically". Howard Feinstein from
Screen Daily praised writer/director Gass-Donnelly: "Ed Gass-Donnelly makes appropriate, unpretentiously artful, stylistic choices in this tale of redemption". Alison Willmore of
The A.V. Club, gave the film a grade B, with particular praise for the songs: "Who's responsible for the killing is never much of a mystery in
Small Town Murder Songs; there are no dark conspiracies, only dark natures. The tension instead focuses on whether Stormare will be able to rein himself in when the investigation inexorably pulls him toward his old life. Everyone is so restrained, their turmoil buried so deep, that the depth of what they're feeling has to be excavated from what's left unsaid." ==Awards==