“LaRoy, Texas” remains as unpredictable as an overly agitated Texas rattlesnake and has just about as much bite to it.

Atkinson’s hilarious feature debut is a barn burner of a western-thriller whose Coen Brothers-inspired nods give life to its meek protagonist.

If Atkinson isn’t quite the Coen inheritor he aspires to be, this hectic flurry of schemers, snatchers and low-lifes puts him three-quarters of the way to inventing a new genre: Texan noir farce.

LaRoy, Texas is certainly not the worst movie you will see this year. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near the best, either.