Jocelin Donahue in The Last Stop in Yuma County (Well Go USA)

The Last Stop in Yuma County is a throwback of sorts to early 1990s noir. Not the rat-a-tat-tat, hipper than thou variety that Quentin Tarantino essentially invented, but to directors who broke just prior to him, such as James Foley (After Dark My Sweet) or John Dahl. Their movies were smart, intelligent slow burners. Yuma County fits snugly into this category and also ranks among the best of them.

The premise is beyond simple. In a tiny desert town where everyone knows everyone and the gas station also serves as the local motel, a group of motorists end up stranded because the fuel truck hasn’t arrived yet to refill the gas pumps. They all hold out at the local diner until the truck arrives. However, the fuel truck is not arriving, having had an accident that killed the driver, and more ominously, there are two murderous bank robbers among the patrons. From this simple premise, writer/director Francis Galluppi wrings maximum suspense.

To be fair, two people actually know who Beau (a terrifying Richard Brake) and Travis (Nicholas Logan) are. That would be a knife salesman (Jim Cummings) and the waitress, Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue), who happens to be married to the sheriff. They were alone in the diner when Beau and Travis entered and were strongly enticed—at gun point—to play along as though nothing is wrong until someone with a full tank of gas stops by and the criminals can steal the vehicle and skedaddle to Mexico.

Galluppi combines sharp dialogue, exceptional casting, and measured pacing to draw you into a situation that you absolutely know is going to end badly. Yet he constantly manages to surprise you while slowly building up suspense. When everything goes to hell in what in most films would be the finale, Galluppi tacks on another 25 minutes that is just as compelling.

Galluppi’s characters act logically, given the circumstances, but when they don’t, it is usually because logic and brains are not their strong suit. He also doesn’t skimp on humor, which works to break the occasional unbearable tension. The way the editing (by Galluppi himself), cinematography, and production design work in concert to create a cohesive world and story is impressive. Every moment seems to be thought out, even the choice to set the film in an almost timeless era. It seems like it might be the late 1970s, and there are clues to that, but the characters feel contemporary, as does the style. It makes you feel this story can happen at any moment (as long as there are no cell phones).

The Last Stop in Yuma County is like a sleek car with a powerful engine that occasionally roars, but with a driver who knows the ride is more satisfying when it purrs.