With more twists and turns than a two headed serpent, REPTILE is an enthralling mystery that plays like "Serpico" mashed up with your favorite, craziest episode of 'Dateline".
Benecio del Toro is excellent as Detective Tom Nichols, whose badge seems tarnished by past allegations of wrong doing.
He's called to the case of a young realtor named Summer (Matilda Lutz) whose been brutally murdered at an estate she was showing in the countryside.
Her boyfriend Will Grady (Justin Timberlake) is a driven, focused real estate mogul under the controlling shadow of his mother Camille Grady, powerfully played by Frances Fisher (Titanic, Unforgiven).
Suspects abound beyond Will, including sketchy ex-boyfriends, angry parties in past real estate deals and plenty of assorted no gooders.
Writer/Director Grant Singer masterfully introduces us to suspect after suspect until we have an entire Clue board full of possible killers. Directing his first feature after a past creating top-line music videos, Singer shows real style. There is a point in the movie where you wish he had edited himself just a bit though, as red herrings and subplots pile up and you get a bit lost on what the real motivations are behind the action.
Tom's personal and professional life plays an equal part of the story. His wife Judy (a welcome Alicia Silverstone) is his confidant, but is she spending a bit too much time with the contractor of their home remodel? Tom's partner Dan (Ato Essandoh) seems uptight, but anxious to learn under Tom's watch. Tom's boss, Captain Allan (the reliably great Eric Bogosian) has just discovered he has MS and is pondering his future. Fellow squad member Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi) is branching out with a private guard business servicing elite clients. Sporting a new Rolex and plenty of attitude, Wally would love Tom to join his firm.
Del Toro is our steady guide through all the police work, taking us along right over his shoulder as he unravels a web that seems to spin off in unexpected directions every time he pulls on a thread. I guessed wrong at least half a dozen times where it was heading, but Del Toro never gives you a moment to take your eyes off him.
You feel the paranoia.
You feel the disappointment.
And in a wild conclusion, you can almost feel the gun shots.
When the smoke cleared, it took me a bit to consider what I'd just seen and how it all fits together. That's a good thing.
Timberlake gives a very good performance with a lot of range and Bogosian is awesome anytime he's on screen. This is the antithesis of his first major performance in 1988's "Talk Radio". He's become a more introspective but no less intense version of himself.
At the film's center Del Toro and Silverstone hold court. As a flawed but centered couple, they become the only thing in the movie you can trust, at least I think so.
It's a hell of a lot of fun watching what's going on around them.
REPTILE is mad, violent and enthralling enough to get a very solid B.
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