Netflix had quite a few offerings at TIFF, showcasing their end of the year lineup with everything from documentaries to marque releases. Additionally, their acquisition team worked overtime to snag two or three major premieres at the Festival, including “Woman of the Hour” and “Hit Man.” Netflix spent over $30 million on these films, so maybe pay your writers and actors so they can actually promote your films and make that money back. Yes, we continue to stand with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA during their strikes.
On the docket of premieres screened in Toronto was “Reptile,” a film that on paper seems like another streaming winner for the streaming giant. A dark and twisted crime procedural with a star studded cast is a can’t miss formula, and should’ve wowed audiences fortunate enough to see it in theaters prior to its digital wide release. Unfortunately, “Reptile” is a meandering, convoluted misfire. A bland and trope ridden narrative that can’t stay focused long enough to remain engaging across its overly long runtime.
Written and directed by Grant Singer, “Reptile” is a crime thriller that follows the brutal and mysterious murder of a young real estate agent in an affluent town. Hard boiled detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) is assigned to the case, and though he has his suspects that includes the boyfriend Will Grady (Justin Timberlake) and a mysterious, strange young man named Eli (Michael Pitt) who keeps appearing at the crime scene, the deeper he digs into the case the larger it seems to be. Nichols soon discovers that there is more to this murder than just a brutal crime of passion. it may even include people closest to him, and he may be on the verge of uncovering some of the darkest secrets in his home town.
There’s some validity to the sticking the formula, particularly within the crime thriller genre. A murder and good mystery with a plethora of worthy suspects often makes for a good whodunnit worth watching until the end. But “Reptile” can’t seem to execute well on even its most basic premise, sprawling the web of deceit and mystery far beyond the confines of the story at hand. Peeling back layers of a murder isn’t new, but pulling on too many strings with very little payoff is what hinders this from being truly engaging or entertaining. Its tonally bleak pacing paired with its similarly bleak cinematography causes the film to lose steam and interest rather quickly. All of which could be forgiven if the payoff was worth the web of lies. Unfortunately, it concludes with far too many loose ends to feel satisfying and rewarding for seeing it through, seemingly more focused on what it is trying to shroud in unnecessary mystery than what it is trying to reveal.
It never pops, and never feels as important or clever as it purports itself to be. The over ambition with little substance makes “Reptile” more tiresome than these kinds of procedurals should be. This is Singer’s feature film debut, and the inexperience and delusions of grandeur are on full display. Del Toro is of course doing the most with what he’s given, and delivers a solid noir detective performance. Del Toro is a presence even when the script and pacing hold him back, a testament to his magnetic energy and charisma even when he is forced to be more measured and quiet in his approach. This film is only serviceable through him, with everyone else falling short and unable to elevate the slogging material. I’m all for Alicia Silverstone returning to the big screen in any capacity, but like many other characters in the story she exists simply to fill a character roster. Despite constantly trying to include characters that should be important to the story, “Reptile” is too overwritten to add any kind of purpose to anyone we meet.
“Reptile” has some basic premise substance that could be interesting were it placed in more capable hands. Plenty of crime thrillers have thrived using bleak aesthetics and slow burn mystery, and this DOES have the basic framework to be a decent and more engaging entry into the genre. A few more script passes, some more experienced execution with a clearer vision and 30 minutes shorter would all serve to make this a solid addition to the crime thriller Netflix queue. Instead, everything in “Reptile” exists as empty shell, and the cleverness with which it thinks of itself as having amounts to a little more than a hollow, exhaustive collection of check the box ideas that lead nowhere.
It is a slog to get through, and while I’m certain it will garner quite a few views on Netflix and make its way onto the trending list, it simply doesn’t have the staying power to be remembered beyond its initial viewing. It’s the kind of film you sit through til the end in hopes it gets better, discover that it doesn’t, then completely forget you watched it a month later.
“Reptile” doesn’t deserve Benicio Del Toro, and we all deserve better crime thrillers.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
“Reptile” arrives in select theaters September 22nd, and will be available to stream on Netflix September 29th. You can watch the trailer below.
