Reptile

Enfin un bon polar sombre cette année, avec un Benicio Del Toro précis dans le rôle principal. Netflix a vraiment réussi avec celui-ci, et pourtant, fixer une durée de 136 minutes pour maintenir le suspense était un risque majeur. (26/10/2023)

Reptile est un thriller policier à l’atmosphère glauque, avec une musique lugubre appropriée et originale dans ses détails, des jeux de montage intéressants et un casting parfait, y compris pour tous les personnages secondaires. Benicio Del Toro réalise une performance d’acteur majestueuse. Il s’agit sans doute ici de la meilleure contribution américaine au genre cette année, avec un excellent équilibre entre la révélation des personnages suspects et une incertitude permanente liée au pressentiment que tout sera différent. Pour un premier long métrage réalisé par un réalisateur de vidéoclips, il s’agit d’un exploit unique. Grant Singer rejoint ainsi un club d’élite (Villeneuve, Fincher). Quatre étoiles et demie. (03/10/2023)

The first half is a fine Scandinavian-style crime drama, including a sadistic murder, the chilly autumn weather and muted colours. And with one fantastic actor who I totally, totally love. Benicio Del Toro is walking charisma, he gets better the older he gets, and you can't take your eyes off his spare acting. The film loses its footing for a bit in the middle, and then it starts to get tangled and convoluted, and I'm not saying it's not good, but they lay their cards on the table too soon and lose the element of surprise. It's just not one step ahead of the viewer like a crime drama like this needs to be, and that's a shame. But for my beloved Bull, I'll give it 4*. P.S. Also excellent are the psychotic Michael Pitt and Justin Timberlake, with his vacant shark-eyed stare. (29/09/2023)

A surprising gem from Netflix. A gritty crime drama with an outstanding Benicio in the lead. For a debut, it's an impressive effort. The chilling atmosphere feels straight out of a David Fincher film, and while it drags a bit in the middle, the finale is grounded and absolutely fantastic. (06/10/2023)

A slowburn detective thriller that sometimes uses its slowness to surprisingly humorous effect. In some aspects, the serious Del Toro appropriates a bit of the Coens’ irony of aimless existence. All of the parallels with Villeneuve and Fincher are appropriate, which can paradoxically be to the film’s detriment. Its tone is less bleak and the twists are rather predictable and, if any objection offers itself, it’s that Singer’s cuts and sudden pauses toward the end of film smack of stretching out the runtime. We can all anticipate what’s coming, but the film deliberately leaves us hanging for a while by jumping into another storyline. In that, it’s obvious that this is the director’s debut. Otherwise, Reptile is Del Toro’s show. His brooding, derisive detective fascinated with the water faucet quickly gets under your skin and drags you through a story that lacks the slightly sharper dramatic edge that would allow Reptile to grab you and not let go. That said, Netflix got lucky in the acquisition this time. (05/10/2023)