Reptile

Reptile is an atmospherically creepy crime thriller with appropriately gloomy music that is original in its details, creatively interesting editing and a perfect cast, including all of the supporting characters. Benicio Del Toro turns in a majestic acting performance. With its excellent balance between revealing the suspicious characters and the constant uncertainty that comes with the feeling that everything will be different, Reptile is probably this year’s best American contribution to the genre. For a feature-length debut by a music-video director, this is a unique feat that puts Grant Singer on the path to joining the ranks of the elites (Villeneuve, Fincher). Four and a half stars. (10/03/2023)

An atmospheric whodunit/thriller with a Benicio Del Toro that will burrow under your skin, who, along with debut director Grant Singer, elevates this Netflix flick to at least the event of the month. An inscrutable tale that, once unraveled, is an admittedly much-seen classic. However, it's told so artfully and with such excellent performances from the supporting cast that it takes your breath away. The almost palpable insecurity is brilliantly rendered in Del Toro's performance, while not falling out of character as the stoic client. Often reminiscent of the very best crime stories by David Fincher, the director has a flair for image and narrative. The script is strong in detail and especially in realism, with the scenes with his wife (an awesome Alicia Silverstone) among my favorites. (10/06/2023)

Perfect craftsmanship. A mix of intricate crime drama like Mystic River and gloomy atmosphere in the style of the recent The Little Things with Denzel Washington, but with a much more interesting script and a fantastic cast. The experience isn't in the twist or the story's outcome, which is predictable and there’s no really big surprise in store. The key is the style of the storytelling, the direction and the work of the editor, who has a great sense of composition and masterfully mixes some of the sound and image structures into unique units. For what is essentially a directorial debut, hats off. (10/14/2023)

The first half is a fine Scandinavian-style crime drama, including a sadistic murder, the chilly autumn weather and muted colours. And with one fantastic actor who I totally, totally love. Benicio Del Toro is walking charisma, he gets better the older he gets, and you can't take your eyes off his spare acting. The film loses its footing for a bit in the middle, and then it starts to get tangled and convoluted, and I'm not saying it's not good, but they lay their cards on the table too soon and lose the element of surprise. It's just not one step ahead of the viewer like a crime drama like this needs to be, and that's a shame. But for my beloved Bull, I'll give it 4*. P.S. Also excellent are the psychotic Michael Pitt and Justin Timberlake, with his vacant shark-eyed stare. (09/29/2023)

A slowburn detective thriller that sometimes uses its slowness to surprisingly humorous effect. In some aspects, the serious Del Toro appropriates a bit of the Coens’ irony of aimless existence. All of the parallels with Villeneuve and Fincher are appropriate, which can paradoxically be to the film’s detriment. Its tone is less bleak and the twists are rather predictable and, if any objection offers itself, it’s that Singer’s cuts and sudden pauses toward the end of film smack of stretching out the runtime. We can all anticipate what’s coming, but the film deliberately leaves us hanging for a while by jumping into another storyline. In that, it’s obvious that this is the director’s debut. Otherwise, Reptile is Del Toro’s show. His brooding, derisive detective fascinated with the water faucet quickly gets under your skin and drags you through a story that lacks the slightly sharper dramatic edge that would allow Reptile to grab you and not let go. That said, Netflix got lucky in the acquisition this time. (10/05/2023)