Filmmaker Grant Singer teams up with Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro for the crime drama Reptile, coming to Netflix this October after its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year. Functioning as a psychological portrait of a man realizing his life and career are built on a foundation of deadly lies, Reptile boasts an impressive cast to bring its lurid tale to life. And though the story feels like it meanders at points and loses its narrative focus on several occasions, the movie works as a subdued showcase for the main cast's solid acting.
After a suburban real estate agent is brutally murdered in her home, a world-weary police detective named Tom Nichols (del Toro) decides to look into the case after the victim's boyfriend is cleared of suspicion. However, the further Nichols probes the murder mystery, the more he begins questioning his marriage to his wife, Judy (Alicia Silverstone), and his longtime colleagues on the local police force. And as these secrets begin to come to light, Nichols quickly realizes that some of the skeletons in his closet could emerge with lethal fury.
Working with cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, Singer delves into shadowy interiors and perpetually bleak and gray exteriors for a washed-out and withered look at small-town Americana. This choice of lighting and muted color palette gives the movie a decidedly turgid feel that is accentuated by the pacing. With numerous shots of Nichols simmering over new details that come his way, this movie feels like it's all dressed up with nowhere to go for the bulk of its runtime.
The real spark here is between del Toro and Silverstone. This is the first time the two actors have worked together since 1997's Excess Baggage. At first, the two seem like a supportive couple ready to weather a crisis together, but as Nichols' investigation escalates, the secrets they keep from each other threaten to derail their marriage. Justin Timberlake, cast against type as the victim's live-in boyfriend, Will Grady, also shines, playing someone rocked to his core by tragedy while maintaining a sense of deception and malice as the film progresses.
Whenever these three actors aren't actively engaged with the proceedings, Reptile tends to drag, losing whatever momentum and riveting tension preceding revelations brought to the story. That said, the wider ensemble cast is composed of solid character actors and old pros when it comes to crime and drama fare, turning in good work that they honed while appearing in The Wire or Boardwalk Empire. For those looking for a character study, Reptile is a more rewarding experience than those looking for a crime thriller, despite the premise.
With uneven pacing and a narrative that really only works when it keeps its protagonist off-balance, Reptile is an interesting and flawed take on crime dramas. Kept afloat by its cast, the movie features del Toro at his most vulnerable but doesn't explore that vulnerability as much as it should and stops short of asking itself the harder questions it raises. Reptile is something of a noble misfire, willing to take risks with the genre and its expectations even if the end result leaves a bit to be desired.
Directed and co-written by Grant Singer, Reptile premieres Oct. 6 on Netflix.