Grant Singer’s “Reptile” (2023), currently showing on Netflix, is an odd bag. It’s not a bad movie, but not a great one either. It mixes a slow-pace and “The Pledge”-like plodding with what ends as a common cop procedural. Its lead—Benecio Del Toro—almost solely saves the film. However, “Reptile’s” biggest problem is it centers itself on atmosphere and misdirection for most of the film’s run, only to end commonly. It has notes of Brian Kirk’s “21 Bridges,” except with the cinematography and editing of a psychological thriller (though the film is not). Justin Timberlake co-stars and has been criticized by multiple critics for “mediocre acting,” but those complaints are flatly incorrect. “Reptile’s” biggest problem is not Timberlake, nor any of the cast. Rather what brings it down is its odd direction by Singer and its story (co-written by Singer and Benjamin Brewer).
Why makes “Reptile” odd is it views its events uninterestedly, the camera discovering occurrences it wishes were more interesting than they are. The film centers around a murder. Timberlake plays a Real Estate mogul momma’s boy named Will Grady whose girlfriend, Summer (Matilda Lutz) is found dead in a house he’s trying to sell. They’ve been seen to have a rocky relationship, with Grady criticizing her for not “being there for him” the night before at a seminar he gave on selling houses. In short time Grady is brought in for questioning and admits the fight. “Reptile” then spends most of the rest of its run-time (a too-long 2 hours and 14 minutes) obfuscating the audience’s expectations of who or what could have been the cause of Summer’s death.
Complex and Twisty-Turny
“Reptile” does this thing where it holds back even as it reveals more and more pieces to the puzzle. It introduces two other individuals from Summer’s life (Michael Pitt, Karl Glusman) who may also be the killer(s). It also offers looks at Del Toro’s Tom Nichols’ life at the police precinct he works (he’s the lead detective). We get the impression Nichols has a past, and the film is slow—too slow—in piecing together what may have happened. Nichols also has a gnarly looking fresh scar on his hand, which he covers with a bandage, making us wonder if he could have killed Summer himself? It’s in this way the film is odd. It starts lots of moments that make the audience wonder and then goes absolutely nowhere with them. Along the way, it bounces in and out of the lives of some of the close-knit townsfolk. This is on top of choppy editing that cuts and introduces scenes before we really have the ability to understand what’s going on.
I mentioned “The Pledge” and “21 Bridges,” and “Reptile” really feels like a composite of those two films. Without offering spoilers, it lacks the overly-sanctimonious rationalizing of the latter, but holds the mystique and eerieness of the former. Del Toro is great here. It was fun watching him as a career detective who has more morals—and more care in policing—than many of his colleagues, save his rookie partner Dan (Ato Essandoh), who’s really fun to watch. Yet “Reptile” is also an odd character study, as his marriage may or may not be falling apart. Halfway through the film we see his wife (Alicia Silverstone) receiving the flirtations of a contractor who then appears at a function with her at a later scene. Yet—like other aspects—“Reptile” drops this angle altogether in an odd way that felt unfinished.
Del Toro is the Film’s Highlight
Apart from this, the film skips from angles involving the aforementioned Pitt and Glusman, along with hints and that Nichols’ captain (Eric Bogosian) or other cops may or may not be involved in Summer’s murder.
The basic problem with “Reptile” is its plot is simple, but its cinematography (Mike Gioulakis handles the camera) and editing (Kevin Hickman) try to make the film feel more ambitious than the material allows. More-so, the way some of the scenes begin—or end—leave the audience wondering what exactly is going on. There were several times where I was very hazy about how we got into scene or why we were there. This is in addition to other scenes that begin or end in odd places that offer little but confusion. And while we get many scenes with Del Toro—who is great here—for one of the film’s main characters “Reptile” is slow or reluctant to build his backstory fully. However, one scene as he talks to a therapist about a recurring dream set the stage for intriguing character growth. Del Toro’s Nichols saved most of the film for me and is a pleasure to watch throughout.
As stated, “Reptile” is not a bad film, just what feels like an incomplete one. It’s clear Singer et al. are trying something new here with the filmmaking style. Maybe they wanted to make it feel older and more immersive (it has notes of Nolan’s “Memento” and Fincher’s “Se7en”). Yet I don’t feel the material is deep enough to warrant the camera’s artistry. However, the film isn’t insulting and worth a watch if you are into cop procedurals that make you think. And while some of the film’s decisions bring it down some, it makes for an atmospheric yarn all the same. Perhaps Singer’s next production (his career is mostly music videos before this) will bring the same mood and tone to a project and story that has slightly more to offer on its underbelly.
