57 best Netflix movies to watch (and 24 to skip)

Reptile

Release Year: 2023

Director: Grant Singer

Cast: Benicio del Toro, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Silverstone

Reptile is the first feature directorial effort from filmmaker Grant Singer, who also worked on the script with film star Benicio Del Toro and Benjamin Brewer.

Del Toro plays hardened detective Tom Nichols, faced with a mysterious case revolving around the brutal murder of a young realtor, girlfriend to a wealthy guy named Will Grady (Justin Timberlake).

What seems to begin as a rather straightforward homicide investigation starts taking disturbing twists and turns, to the point that Tom begins to question everything, not just about his case, but about his job and personal life, too.

I actually liked Reptile okay for the most part. It’s a neo-noir mystery that wears inspirations on it’s sleeve. Clearly, Singer was heavily inspired by David Fincher. But with very slow pacing and a 2+ hour runtime, this movie will be a hard sell for many.

It doesn’t help that the intent is to make the audience feel as deceived as the characters, which can lead to frustration as Reptile intentionally tries sleight of hand and misdirection to keep you guessing. Some moments work better than others, and some will just leave you irritated.

Verdict: SKIP