A Small Town in Texas

A Small Town in Texas

Year: 1976

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Action

In a tiny Texas town, Poke is desperate to reunite with his girlfriend and leave. A corrupt sheriff frames him for a drug bust, seizes his lover, and uses his power to crush Poke. As the sheriff’s abuse deepens, a tense cat‑and‑mouse battle erupts, forcing Poke to confront the lawman and fight for his love.

A Small Town in Texas (1976) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at A Small Town in Texas (1976) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the dust‑kissed outskirts of West Texas, a small town clings to its own swagger‑filled codes and unspoken histories. The sun‑bleached streets echo with the clang of old machinery, while the ever‑watchful presence of law enforcement casts a long, uneasy shadow over daily life. Though the horizon seems endless, the community feels tightly wound, its rhythm dictated by a handful of power players who know how to keep order—or bend it to their will.

Poke returns to this world after a long stint behind bars, carrying the weight of a past that still smells of wilted sagebrush. He arrives with a single, urgent purpose: to reconnect with the woman he loves and carve a way out of the town that has both shaped and constrained him. The weight of his hopes is matched only by the lingering resentment of a place that never quite let go. Sheriff Duke Calley, the town’s iron‑fisted lawman, watches Poke’s every move, his authority a constant reminder that the past is not easily escaped.

Mary Lee represents both a tether to home and a fragile promise of a different future. Their strained reunion underscores the film’s central tension: a desperate man yearning for freedom against a corrupt official who wields the town’s rules like a weapon. The atmosphere crackles with a simmering cat‑and‑mouse energy, each encounter charged with the unspoken threat that any misstep could tighten the sheriff’s grip.

The story unfolds in a landscape where loyalty, love, and survival intersect, painting a portrait of a man pitted against an entrenched power structure while striving to reclaim his life. As the stakes rise, the town’s quiet streets become a chessboard, and every glance, whispered word, and lingering pause hints at an inevitable clash that will test both Poke’s resolve and the sheriff’s dominion.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 18:09

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Thrillers about Fighting Corrupt Authority like A Small Town in Texas

A lone protagonist battles a deeply corrupt and powerful local authority.If you enjoyed the high-stakes conflict against a corrupt sheriff in A Small Town in Texas, you'll like these movies. They feature tense cat-and-mouse games where individuals must challenge and overcome a deeply unjust and powerful system to survive.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically begin with an injustice that pits a lone hero against a powerful, corrupt establishment. The plot follows a escalating series of confrontations, chases, and standoffs, where the protagonist must use cunning and sheer will to expose the corruption and reclaim their life.

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They are grouped by their shared theme of systemic corruption and the intense, personal battle against it. The mood is consistently tense and desperate, driven by a fast pace and high emotional stakes, creating a visceral underdog experience.

Tense Small-Town Thrillers like A Small Town in Texas

Thrillers where a small town's idyllic facade hides a prison of tension.Find movies with a similar feel to A Small Town in Texas, where a seemingly quiet town becomes a claustrophobic battleground. These stories feature desperate chases, wrongful accusations, and a fight for survival against oppressive local power.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative revolves around a character who becomes trapped in a small, insular community that turns hostile. The setting itself becomes an antagonist, limiting escape routes and amplifying the threat. The story is a linear, high-stakes race against time as the protagonist works to expose the truth and break free.

Why These Movies?

They share a specific vibe defined by an oppressive small-town setting, a fast-paced and straightforward plot of pursuit, and a heavy, tense mood. The experience is one of claustrophobia and relentless external pressure.

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A Small Town in Texas Summary

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A Small Town in Texas Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in A Small Town in Texas

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Small Town in Texas

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