Reptile Review: Netflix Crime Drama's Chief Problem Is It's Boring
Benicio Del Toro is no stranger to gritty crime drama, as the actor won an Oscar for his work in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic and should earn another nomination for Sicario . He brings that experience to "Reptile," which he co-wrote with director Grant Singer and Benjamin Brewer, but it can't replicate what worked in his previous films.
It's a competent crime drama about reptiles . It sets its own dark, understated tone and sticks to it, underscored by an icy score and del Toro's understated performance. However, there is not much behind these superficial qualities as the film is disappointing.
In "Reptile," Del Toro plays homicide detective Tom Nichols, who is accused of killing a real estate agent who was found dead in a house he was showing. There are three main suspects: her boyfriend Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), her ex-husband Sam (Karl Glusman) and a suspicious walker with a past, Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt). But the deeper Tom digs into the case, the more he realizes it is not what it seems.
Reptiel's main problem is that it's boring. The case they're working on doesn't require much action, which is fine, but at over two hours long, it would have been nice if I could have felt my pulse quicken at least once. Moreover, after an hour you feel that the story should be almost over, only to realize that the real story of the film is just beginning and will continue at its methodical pace for another hour. It certainly looks like a tighter version could make things a little more exciting.
When there is interesting character development in the story, it can be beneficial to take the time to fill in all the important information, but that is not the case here. We don't know the suspects or side characters enough to care about them. It leaves Del Toro's detective, bits and pieces that we learn about, but not enough to really understand his arc or look past his constant quest to get to the bottom of things.
However, even Del Toro can play these types of roles in his sleep, embodying his detective temperament. Also notable are Alicia Silverstone, who has a strong role as Del Toro's strong and capable wife, and Michael Pitts, with an unrecognizable performance (maybe it was because of the greasy curls, but he talks about the look "plus the strong bending." ). Timberlake is somewhat disappointing because he suppresses his natural charisma; It makes sense for the character, but it seems like an odd casting choice.
Reptile was the first film of Grant Singer, who previously came from the world of music videos. While the look and tone of the film is what you would expect from a chilling crime drama, Singer fails to elevate the average plot to greater potential. All in all, it's a solid first effort, but perhaps a bit more than I was prepared for.
Although "Reptile" had a limited theatrical release, it looks and feels like a Netflix original: a film that could find a fan base on the streaming service, but appears to be getting started. a Focus only on attracting people to the theatre.
Narrasti released in select theaters on September 22. It will premiere on Netflix on September 29.
