Reptile (2023)

October 1, 2023 5:01 AM

A detective trying to start over again after a professional betrayal investigates the murder of a local real estate agent.

When a young real estate agent is murdered, Tom (Benicio Del Toro) is assigned to the case. He is attempting to recover from betrayal by his partner. Featuring Justin Timberlake (murder victim's husband),Alicia Silverstone (Tom's wife), Eric Bogosian, Frances Fischer, Michael Pitt, and Ato Essandoh (Tales From the Loop).

posted by miss-lapin (7 comments total)

I thought this was much better than its plot and script would suggest. Compelling performances from the whole cast. The sound design especially was really unsettling. Along with lots of scenes at night with dramatic lighting, and long silences, it felt like a horror movie, in a good way.

I was a bit worried the denouement would reveal Alicia Silverstone's character to be part of the scheme, but fortunately she remained clueless.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 11:40 AM on October 1, 2023 [8 favorites]

Ba da bing, qxntpqbbbqxl!

I'm actually watching it right now and it is so true about the sound design. This is such a great cast.
posted by the webmistress at 2:02 PM on October 1, 2023

I loved the sound design but not the movie.

May I suggest to you The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster?
posted by miss-lapin at 3:41 PM on October 1, 2023

I actually felt the sound design was a little heavy handed, which I found distracting even if it was also unsettling. Agreed it was a great cast and performances all around.
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:08 PM on October 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

I called every reveal, but it was great. Blonde herrings everywhere. I love whenever Herc shows up post-Wire.
posted by emelenjr at 7:33 AM on October 2, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure anyone currently acting does "compellingly world weary" better than Del Toro. Without that this could've been pretty generic.
posted by soundguy99 at 1:43 PM on October 7, 2023 [4 favorites]

Better than thought it was going to be.

I thought he'd already turn out to be a little dirty, but it turned into something a little like Copland and suffers a bit for the comparison. I don't really feel like the money laundering scheme was explained very well, and "she was going to talk" was just a thing floating in the air.

I did like the touchless faucet as the sort of thematic ending of the movie. Five paragraph theme on the meaning of his wounded hand.
posted by fleacircus at 6:51 AM on October 29, 2023