If there’s one genre that shows no signs of slowing down, it’s mystery and crime thrillers. These dramas can trace their roots almost as far back as the films themselves, going back to the whodunit noir era of the 1930s and 40s. The crime drama gave us some of the films considered among the greatest of all time, with The Godfather franchise a particularly classic standout.
With an increasing number of streaming services providing original content, crime movies have only grown in prominence. They’re so ingrained in film culture that the genre’s tropes are almost more prominent outside of it than they are inside. Think about it, how many parody movies have you seen that spoof the tired conventions of crime movies? Or how many lighthearted comedies interpret some of the traditionally dramatized stories? The thing is, crime movies are arguably more popular now than ever before.
This brings us to Netflix Reptile, one of his numerous upcoming original films and a potential standout in the crime thriller genre. The film was co-written and directed by Grant Singer in his film debut. Previously, Singer was best known for directing music videos for artists such as Sam Smith, The Weeknd, Camila Cabello, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Lorde, among many others. Directing a movie for one of the biggest streaming services in one of the most popular genres is an impressive way to make your film debut. So what else do we know about Grant Singer? Reptile? Who can we see in the cast, what can we expect from the story and when will it hit our screens? Let’s now look at everything we know.
Reptile: The Plot
As the production process is ongoing, not much concrete information about the plot is available. However, we do know that the film will feature a staple genre, a detective solving a murder. This most basic style of crime film dates back nearly 100 years and is the fundamental basis of the whodunit. While viewers’ tastes have obviously evolved over the past century, there’s something about solving a murder that has remained an audience favorite for decades. We can use our own detective skills and feel part of the action (and bonus points if we solve the case correctly).
Reptile it opens in typical fashion, supposedly right after the murder of a young real estate agent. A hardened detective must work to find the truth in a case where nothing is what it seems on the surface. As he works to solve the mystery, the detective also uncovers hidden truths about his own life.
The tragic murder of a young man? To check. A case-hardened detective who’s seen it all? To check. Disorientation with what initially appears to be true? To check. Did the hardened detective say learning a lesson about his own life in the process? To check. Looks like Reptile checks all the boxes of a conventional murder movie. There’s nothing inherently wrong with sticking to some traditional elements, as long as you do something to modernize that convention and make it your own. We’ll have to wait and see if Reptile it can grow out of the box and be more than the typical murder movie we’ve seen a hundred times.
Additional plot information will likely follow as we get closer to the release date.
Reptile: The Cast
An area where Reptile what stands out against other murder mysteries is its stacked cast. Action veteran Benicio Del Toro leads the cast as the obligatory hardened detective investigating the murder.
Del Toro is joined in the cast by a plethora of big names, including NSYNC frontman Justin Timberlake. the irish actor Domenick Lomardozzi is set for a role, as is Karl Glusman from greyhound. In addition to Leslie‘s Owen Teague will appear alongside Catherine Dyer from the morning show and Italian actress Matilda Lutz.
Uninformed icon Alicia Silverstone, empire boardwalkMichael Pitt and actor Ato Essandoh are also part of the cast. Frances Fisher de the sinner and Eric Bogosian from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire are also on the case. In addition, the cast includes actor Mike Pniewski, 12 strong‘s Thad Luckinbull, and actor/singer Sky Ferreira. Finally, the broad ensemble is completed with actor James Devoti and Michael Beasley from Escape in Dannemora.
While there has been speculation about the roles and storylines of these cast members, no one other than Del Toro currently has a confirmed role. However, we can expect additional casting announcements and confirmation of existing roles as production continues.
Reptile: the release date
Currently, Netflix has not set a release date for Reptile. Filming took place in the summer of 2021, and details have remained relatively quiet since then, so the movie could reasonably be ready for release later this year. All we can do now is wait for more information to come in.