Netflix Dark R-Rated Crime Thriller Mystery Is Full Of Twists And Turns

Reptile, Netflix’s whodunit movie, centers on Benicio Del-Toro’s detective, Tom Nichols, as he investigates the murder of a real estate agent and uncovers a tangled web of corruption within his new community.

He quickly finds the suspect and solves the case—almost too quickly for comfort—only to reveal that the mystery of the real-estate agent’s death isn’t as straightforward as he initially believed. He soon discovers new evidence that unravels a conspiracy and shakes him to his core, with his entire life now turned upside down.

We won’t dive too much into the narrative of Reptile, but we’ll say that Netflix has done a fantastic job with this one. Being a murder mystery, everyone’s a suspect throughout the movie—the real-estate agent’s boyfriend, her husband (yes, she has one), and their acquaintance, whose house the victim was trying to sell.

Considering that the aforementioned conspiracy involves real estate, money laundering, and corruption among the finest, everyone had the motive to commit the gruesome act.

What makes Netflix’s Reptile great is the fact that the viewers are put in the same spot as the film’s protagonist, left to wonder who the killer is as the evidence shifts the doubt from one suspect to the other.

Is Will Grady, the victim’s boyfriend, portrayed by Justin Timberlake, the killer? Or is it Eli, Sam, Detective Wally, or Chief Marty Graber? Each of these characters had the motive to kill the real estate agent, contributing to the conspiracy behind what appears to be a simple murder case.

To be entirely honest, it’s a bit strange seeing Timberlake and Del Toro share scenes together, considering that the latter is a very serious dramatic actor who has starred in thrilling titles such as Sicario, The Usual Suspects, and 21 Grams.

We’re not trying to downplay Justin Timberlake’s acting abilities in any way; by all metrics, the pop star is a fine actor but has largely earned his recognition in pop music. That apart, Netflix’s Reptile is really a plot-twist-filled, fantastic piece of thriller mystery.

The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, with the original plan to release directly to streaming. However, it ended up receiving a limited release in select theaters in the US before appearing on Netflix approximately a month later, racking up views on the platform.

It’s worth noting that the critics didn’t really like the movie, calling its story convoluted and underwhelming. However, the audiences absolutely loved Netflix’s Reptile, praising Del Toro’s acting, as well as the cast performances.

Ultimately, we tend to agree with the audiences; despite its slow pacing and plot that’s obviously too complicated for movie critics to understand (no offense to critics), Reptile is most likely to keep you glued to the screen for the entirety of 136-minute runtime. Those interested in watching the movie can see Reptile on Netflix.