Reptile

SLOWburning detective movie and when I say SLOWburning then I mean really SLOW. Sorry for all these capital letters, but the first hour nothing much happens and I was wondering if anything was about to happen at all. Well, fortunately it did!

The REAL suspense and thrill (only slowly yet steadily) intensifies during the second hour, which gets really creepy and intense, with a final that is like a sledgehammer. Wow. Really impressed by it.

The good: Benicio del Toro Benicio del Toro Benicio del Toro.

This man has got charisma few other actors (are lucky to) have. He really steals the show, with his very subtle acting skills, that convey so many different feelings that simply watching Benicio del Toro lifting up a small glass to drink is fascinating to watch.

Benicio del Toro co-wrote the screenplay and he co-produced this movie as well. So he had a lot of cloud. And it shows, because this is one heck of a Benicio del Toro flick.

The director made his feature movie debut, with only having made lots of music videos before and although I dont think his direction was terrific, it certainly was a masterful debut.

Quite impressed AND spooked out by it. Recommended for the art house movie fans of slowburning (yet still suspenseful) detective movies.

A real estate developer is considered the prime suspect after he finds his realtor girlfriend murdered at a vacant property. The initial police investigation stalls when it's revealed he has an alibi and the victim had a bitter ex-husband.

All this is just the opening passage, after which homicide detective Tom Nichols sets to work and finds a tangled web of additional complications as the case gets murkier. With the plot unfolding at an unhurried pace, Nichols' nuanced relationship with his wife Judy is given unusual prominence for a neo-noir mystery movie. The rest of the excellent cast is well up to the task of portraying individuals being hostile and devious as Nichols ruffles the feathers of his suspects and colleagues. 'Reptile' is a thoroughly professional debut by a first time director which offers several modest innovations to the genre.

This film could have easily been a series of True Detective.... the filming, atmosphere and music are very of that genre... this is a long film and not for the action lovers. It's thoughtful well written and you need to be awake and concentrating. If you like this pace of film you will enjoy it and the plot is complex and cleverly developed... I won't spoil it... there are web sites that fully explain it. I believe it's got a 7/10 rating due to some impatient poor reviews by people not suited to the pace and genre. I would say if you like the true detective series 1 you might enjoy this ... but if you wants a shoot out every two minutes and an easy plot line... I'd give it a miss.

Music-Director Grant Singer Teams-Up with Benicio del Toro and Delivers this "Netflix" Original for His 1st Feature-Film.

A Bleak Detective Thriller that is Driven by a Moody Neo-Noir Tone.

It's about del Toro, a Transplant Detective Trying to Avoid Mistakes-Made in the Past, and is Caught-Up in a Murder-Corruption Case where "Bad" is Overwhelmingly Everywhere.

He "Bites-the-Bullet" and Hunkers-Down as Events and Revelations Slow-Burn the Case and the Film.

The Tone is Suppressing, Dark, and Deep. More Reliant on Characters "Behaving Badly" than Action and Violence, although the Mood is Relentlessly Depressing and Cuts to the Bone.

Del Toro Nails His Inner-Turmoil Eating Away at His Soul Reflecting in His Demeanor Concerning His Job and His Wife (deliciously played by Alicia Silverstone).

A Stone-Faced Justin Timberlake is a Suspect. What Amounts to a Cameo by Eric Bergosian becomes Integral to the Story.

Worth a Watch.

This movie is a testament to Benicio Del Toro's return to form, reminding me of his stellar performance in "Sicario." It maintains a perfect pace, is skillfully directed, and boasts impressive performances by the lead actors. The storyline is intricately developed, and while it does have some predictable moments, it offers plenty of unexpected twists and turns that kept me captivated throughout its over two-hour runtime. It's a refreshing addition to Netflix's lineup, and I eagerly anticipate more films of this genre in the future. Not sure where some of the 1 star reviews come from, but this is definitely one of the standout crime thrillers of recent times, in my view.