‘Reptile’ Movie Review: A Cold-Blooded Cast of Characters
Photo from Netflix
From Larissa Benfey
There’s a new murder mystery streaming on Netflix, starring Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Silverstone, and the question that I tend to ask about most new Netflix releases is, is it worth a watch? Netflix has been known to pump out a lot of content without caring too much about quality, making some of it very generic. I’m happy to report, I didn’t find this to be the case with Grant Singer’s Reptile. Quite the opposite, in fact.
It’s rare to have a first-time feature film director bring so much style to a movie. Every scene, every transition, every tonal shift had Singer’s fingerprints all over it. If another director had helmed this movie, it would have been a completely different film. Singer encapsulates tension like no other. Every little detail matters, and it makes the movie that much more interesting.
Of course, Singer was working with some of the best actors in the business—specifically Benicio Del Toro, but Alicia Silverstone absolutely brought her a-game, and Justin Timberlake once again proved he deserves the title of talented actor, full stop.
The movie’s premise, admittedly, has been done before. But then again, which movie premise hasn’t? It follows a detective (Del Toro) with a bit of a shady past, investigating the murder of a young real estate agent. It’s the furthest thing from an open and shut case, as everyone seems to be hiding something, including the victim herself. As Del Toro’s character digs deeper and deeper, the waters get murkier and murkier.
While it is a suspense-thriller-noir type film, it doesn’t let its genre restrict it at all. There’s also humor, and some horror elements, and it can be a very slow burn at times, but somehow—for the most part—it works.
I’ve seen a few reviewers compare Reptile to the likes of a David Fincher suspense, though in doing so, they find it lacking. Personally, as a poet, I wouldn’t want my first poems to be compared to those of Emily Dickinson or Poe. Of course there’s no competition there. This film reminded me more of David Raymond’s Night Hunter: incredible performances, an intriguing plot, and some interesting choices made by a filmmaker who is still finding his feet, so to speak.
In terms of what the movie does really well, at the top of the list is Benicio Del Toro’s performance. While his character feels authentic and fleshed out, there’s also an unpredictability to his performance in that you never really know how he’ll react next, which is exhilarating to watch. I also enjoyed and moreover, appreciated Alicia Silverstone’s character not being a run-of-the-mill, prototypical ‘supportive wife.’ Yes, there are still aspects of that, but thankfully, there are richer, more nuanced moments too.
Singer doesn’t shy away from his music video background—of course, there are no dance numbers—but the music choices feel incredibly intentional and generally function as a sort of seasoning, adding flavor without distracting or detracting from the scene.
So, we return to the question: is it worth a watch?
If you enjoy mystery, suspense, crime, or thrillers, I don’t think you should let this one slip past you. It has parallels and nods to movies like The Departed, Gone Girl, Zodiac, and Se7en, while also bringing new concepts and frames we haven’t seen before. It is not a perfect movie (does such a thing even exist?), but I did find it compelling from start to finish.
Rating: 3.5/5
Reptile is now streaming on Netflix.
