Movie Review - Reptile

Director: Grant Singer
Genre: Crime/ Mystery/ Drama
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Alicia Silverstone, Justin Timberlake, Eric Bogosian, Michael Pitt
 
Description: Tom Nicols (Benicio Del Toro) is a hardened New England detective, unflinching in his pursuit of a case where nothing is as it seems and it begins to dismantle the illusions of his own life.

Review: In every scene of “Reptile”, a subcutaneous tension brews between the characters, all linked in one mystery: the question of who killed the victim Summer with thirty-three stab wounds. Seasoned detective Tom Nichols shuffles between the various suspects for more than two hours, making only slow progress.

Summer’s gruesome death gives Tom, played excellently by Benicio Del Toro, a second chance to prove himself as a detective. After being accused of corruption in Philadelphia, he has secured a spot in the Maine police ranks through his wife’s connections, where he is warmly welcomed by the local community of cops. It is now up to him and his partner Dan Cleary to work down the short but tricky list of suspects. Is it Will Grady, Summer’s partner in business and life? The ex-husband? Or the ‘village idiot’ Eli Philips?

With “Reptile”, director Grant Singer makes the transition from music videos to feature films, with his technical ingenuity in style and atmosphere evident. Like a monotonous hum a threat always lingers in the background of the film. The editing binds all the scenes together tightly and manage to steer the viewer into weighing the suspects. Singer’s  style is very reminiscent of that of David Fincher.

“Reptile” is a slow burn, so if that’s not your thing, you can pass on this. There ate many storyline woven into this film and few developments. The investigation continues to languish and the film shifts its attention to other matters. The depiction of friendship and grief within the U.S. police force give the characters a human edge that is missing from many similar films. But with too many side paths and too little development in the plit, Singer’s signature brooding  atmosphere quickly loses its allure.

It is Benicio Del Toro in the lead role that manages to keep “Reptile” afloat throughout its long runtime. He plays the role of hardened cop subtly with little barking and hard biting. When towards the end of the film the investigation hits closer and closer to home, he hardly needs verbal play to show his inner conflict to the viewer. it is due to him that “Reptile” is more than an occasionally uninteresting puzzle to crack for the viewer, but rather a harrowing dilemma to endure for a human being.

Rating: 3,5/ 5