This overview was written throughout the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With out the labor of the writers and actors at the moment on strike, the movie being lined right here wouldn’t exist.There should not many actors who’re on the extent of Benicio Del Toro. He’s an award winner, has starred in movies throughout varied genres, and is probably going one in every of your dad’s favourite actors after he noticed the Sicario movies in between reruns of Yellowstone on the Paramount Community. All jokes apart, Del Toro is the actual deal within the trade and has by no means as soon as phoned in a efficiency. With Grant Singer’s gripping debut movie Reptile, he finds himself doing the type of position that he does finest, taking part in a morally ambiguous protagonist in a tense and sometimes bleak world.
The movie kicks off with actual property agent Will Grady (Justin Timberlake) coming residence to seek out the mangled corpse of his girlfriend. Enter Tom Nichols (Del Toro), a police detective with a battered and sketchy previous, who solely loves two issues in his life: his fierce spouse Judy (Alicia Silverstone) and being a cop. Sure, that is one thing he actually says within the movie virtually phrase for phrase. His crew is shortly roped into the homicide of Grady’s girlfriend and is sort of instantly suspicious of the actual property agent and his fragile relationship along with his late girlfriend. The additional Tom will get into the investigation, the extra he begins to lose belief in everybody round him as his previous is repeatedly coming again to hang-out him. If Reptile feels like a well-recognized story to you, that’s as a result of it’s. It’s not aspiring to reinvent the crime thriller, and it actually doesn’t have to.
Reptile is clearly impressed by movies like Se7en, Zodiac, or actually any David Fincher thriller you possibly can consider. Very similar to Fincher, Singer comes from a music video background, and you’ll see his clear admiration for the acclaimed auteur in almost each body of the movie. Whereas this can be a Netflix movie, he provides the movie a visible model that’s extraordinarily satisfying to look at on the large display. It’s the mid-budget crime movie that we don’t get almost as a lot anymore and you’ll’t assist turning into invested within the story.
In fact, with this type of film, one ought to anticipate a plethora of twists and turns and Reptile undoubtedly delivers on that entrance. A number of the movie’s plot beats go in pretty predictable instructions, nevertheless it’s additionally not with out some memorable surprises. Particularly, the movie’s last showdown is value noting because it is without doubt one of the most riveting sequences you’ll see all yr. Reptile feels totally assured with itself with out ever alienating the viewers. It’s not pretentious and tells its thriller in a reasonably simple manner and by no means runs the chance of feeling overcrowded. A part of this could possibly be credited to the almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime, which does feels a bit pointless.
There are a number of scenes all through the movie that go on for only a minute too lengthy and will have simply been minimize with out the movie having to lose any steam. As amusing as it’s to look at Del Toro curse actual property brokers below his breath or analysis learn how to purchase a brand new faucet on-line, and square-dancing with Silverstone, the scenes weren’t obligatory. It’s not that these scenes weren’t entertaining and so they do convey a way of levity to the movie. However because the story chugs in the direction of its conclusion, you do begin to really feel the size, particularly with a fairly abrupt ending.
One of many extra attention-grabbing notes to make about Reptile is that it marks Del Toro’s screenwriting debut (he co-wrote the screenplay alongside Singer and Benjamin Brewer). It makes good sense because the character of Tom Nichols performs to all of Del Toro’s best strengths as an actor, leading to his most enjoyable and compelling efficiency for the reason that first Sicario movie. He clearly has the brooding and crafty nature of his character all the way down to a T, however he is also extremely proficient in delivering the movie’s few moments of darkish humor. That is the precise type of position that Del Toro was placed on this planet to satisfy.
Reptile additionally marks a reunion between Del Toro and Silverstone after starring collectively in Extra Baggage. Fortunately, this can be a far more practical film. Not solely does Silverstone come dangerously near outshining each different solid member, however she has such a plausible and oddly charming chemistry with him. The characters that the 2 play aren’t actually the widespread kind of folks that dominate a lot of recent Hollywood, however on the similar time the movie by no means demonizes them or makes them into unlikable individuals. You’ll be able to’t assist however root for them, particularly as almost each different character is difficult to belief.
In terms of Timberlake, that’s one other story as he has all the time been an unpredictable actor. Movies like The Social Community and Associates with Advantages gave him roles that really feel tailored for him, whereas different occasions you’ll get some subpar thriller the place he feels wholly miscast like In Time or Runner Runner. It’s not that Timberlake feels miscast in his position, in reality he fits this type of character extraordinarily effectively, however there’s something that simply feels considerably picket about his efficiency, particularly within the movie’s opening act. With that in thoughts, an argument might be made that his efficiency really advantages his morally grey character.