REVIEW:
A detectives trying to solve a murder movie, this type of movie was very popular back in the nineties (Seven, Kiss the Girls) but hasn’t been around much since then. It also plays like the more dramatic version of the movie 21 Bridges, a Chadwick Boseman action-thriller about corruption chases through Manhattan. Reptile is thrilling and gripping, even if its plot developments are a little too complicated from time to time. But as an investigative mystery, the movie definitely works.
Benecio Del Toro plays Tom, the good detective role, as the noble character who wants to do right at all costs. Tom, of course, finds himself surrounded by a sea of corruption and complacency. What starts out as a straight forward murder case with a group of suspects turns out to go much deeper and further than expected. This is definitely a compelling movie, and it helps that Del Torro is such a strong and commanding actor when he is given the right part.
There are lots of other name actors here, from Timberlake to Silverstone to Eliott Gould, but none of them really deliver the same way that Del Torro does. The movie is dark and menacing, and definitely captures the right tone. A lot of that has to do with the music, a low violin playing over long take of panning shots, giving the impression that this case and the developments are always moving. It works. The movie probably won’t be as strong on further viewings, once all of the secrets and twists are known, but on a first watch, this one is pretty solid.