Netflix’s new mystery thriller movie is being slammed by critics – watch these 3 instead
‘The worst big-budget detective thriller since The Snowman’
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Reptile,Netflix’s latest mystery thriller movie, has arrived on the streaming giant – but it might not be worth your time if you pay attention to what critics think.
The detective noir film stars Benicio Del Toro as Tom Nichols, a hardened detective who’s sent to investigate the grisly murder of a young real estate agent. As Nichols attempts to solve a case where nothing is as it is seems, he’s forced to confront aspects of his own life, including events from his past he’d rather forget. Alicia Silverstone and Justin Timberland are amongReptile’s starry supporting cast.It initially seemed like it would be one of thosenew Netflix moviesthat would do well, too. Indeed, in ourround-up of Netflix’s ‘Fall 2023’ movies lineup, we suggestedReptilewould be one of four big movies you wouldn’t want to miss.
It seems, though, thatReptileisn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Well, that’s if you take any notice of what most critics have to say about the crime thriller. Currently,Reptileholds a less-than-impressive 45% critical rating on review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes. That’s not a good start for a film that the world’sbest streaming serviceprobably had high hopes for.
“Reptile just feels wayward and listless."@szacharek reviews the new Netflix film ‘Reptile’ https://t.co/HZ6yDaVf3bSeptember 22, 2023
So, what’s so wrong withReptilethat means it’s left critics feeling a little ahem cold-blooded? For one, its story. According toThe Gate’s Andrew Parker,Reptileis “easily the worst big-budget detective thriller sinceThe Snowman”, adding it’ll make viewers question “how this could’ve gone so wrong given the talent involved”. Ouch.
Parker wasn’t the only one who had issues withReptile’s cumbersome plot.Little White Lies' Charles Bramescoopined it would leave you with a feeling of “who cares?”, whileThe New York Times' Natalia Winkelmanwrote: “Once the film gets around to revealing the culprit, we have already lost interest”.What to Watch’s Michael Balderstonagreed with those sentiments, adding Reptile was “all mood and little else.”
#BenicioDelToro brings us a gripping detective thriller that magnifies the screen - #RivetingDetectiveThriller #Reptile https://t.co/s5nKSsPJUTSeptember 25, 2023
There are journalists who liked what was on offer, though.The Guardian’s Peter Bradshawsuggested that the “bulky physical presence of Del Toro himself gives the film its momentum and force”, whileVariety’s Owen Gleibermansemi-praised the film for how it “tugs you along with a competent and accessible intrigue”.Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawsonalso had some kind words for Reptile, calling it a “good-looking, engaging B-movie made with uncommon intelligence.”
Ultimately,Reptiledoesn’t sound like it’ll make its way onto ourbest Netflix movieslist. As always, however, it’s up to you and other viewers to decide whether it’s as bad as critics are making it out to be. Indeed, Reptile’s Rotten Tomatoes audience score (at the time of writing) sits at a surprisingly high 90%, meaning it might have more bite to it than the reviews suggest.
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Of course, given the harsh early critical reception for Netflix’s latest original film, many of its five-star audience reviews might be the general public’s way of rebelling against the views of critics who disliked it. In summary: you’ll need to decide for yourself if it’s worth streaming or not.
However, if you’d rather not potentially waste two hours and 14 minutes of your life sitting throughReptile, you might want to try one of these three great detective-based movies instead:
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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
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