• Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About
Menu

World of Reel

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Home
Robert Benton, ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ Director, Dies at 92
IMG_5296.jpg
Daniel Day-Lewis’ Comeback Film, ‘Anemone,’ Set for October Release
IMG_5289.png
Steven Spielberg’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Film Compared to ‘E.T.’ & ‘Close Encounters’
IMG_5286.png
Panos Cosmatos’ ‘Flesh of the Gods’ to Star Elizabeth Olsen, Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac
Screenshot 2025-05-13 125351.png
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Praised by Critics — 75 on Metacritic
Featured
Capture.PNG
Aug 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
Aug 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Aug 19, 2019

World of Reel

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
  • More
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
  • About
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About

Justin Timberlake’s Mediocre Acting Derails ‘Reptile’

September 25, 2023 Jordan Ruimy

A few weeks ago, I had reviewed Grant Singer’s “Reptile” at TIFF. It’s currently playing, in very limited fashion, in New York and L.A. theaters. A streaming launch on Netflix is set for this Friday.

For 70% of Grant Singer’s “Reptile,” which stars Benicio del Toro, I was invested, but then it gets bogged down by an irritating plot twist. A real shame since the film had real potential.

“Reptile” stars del Toro (predictably great) as a New England detective who works to solve the murder of a real estate agent. Justin Timberlake stars as the dead girl’s suspected husband and Alicia Silverstone plays del Toro’s wife.

I actually don’t mind Singer ripping off Fincher’s dark thrillers in “Reptile.” There’s no question he does, right down to the yellow-hued cinematography. Some are pointing to it being more of a Villeneuve copycat, but didn’t Villeneuve basically rip off Fincher in “Prisoners”?

Regardless, for a while, I was highly engrossed by Singer’s detective thriller, but, as the dramatic stakes kept getting upped, its 134-minute runtime got way too convoluted. It tried to be too clever. Timberlake didn’t sell any of his scenes either.

The more I think about this movie, the clearer it becomes that Timberlake was so insanely miscast that his performance ends up derailing the entire story. It’s not like Timberlake is a side character that you can just easily brush off. No, he’s plays a key role here.

I must also mention that I do find that, if placed in the right role, with the right director, Timberlake can be a good actor — I’m thinking, in particular, to his excellent work in “The Social Network” and “Alpha Dog.”

I don’t want to ruin anything for you and, as mentioned, “Reptile” will be streaming on Netflix in a couple of days — but the plot lacks any sort of logic. It’s infuriating to witness, due to the the excellent setup — with strong character, suspense and vibe.

← Martin Scorsese: Christopher Nolan and the Safdies Are “Saving Cinema” from Comic Book MoviesMartin Scorsese Says He Has Maybe “One More” Film Left in Him; Regrets ‘Shutter Island’? →

FOLLOW US!


Trending

Featured
IMG_4571.jpg
David Fincher & Brad Pitt Reunite for ‘The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth' + Plot Details
IMG_4549.png
Warners Bros. Chief Admits Missteps on ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: “We Misread the Room”
IMG_4541.jpg
Scorsese’s Next Film? Hawaiian Mob Epic With Dwayne Johnson Eyes 2026 Shoot
Capture.png
Jim Caviezel to be De-Aged in ‘The Resurrection of the Christ'
IMG_4465.png
Harmony Korine Says Hollywood Struggling Because “Movies Suck Today”

Critics Polls

Featured
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants
B16BAC21-5652-44F6-9E83-A1A5C5DF61D7.jpeg
Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘The Godfather’ Named Best Movie of the 1970s
public.jpeg
Critics Poll: ‘Do the Right Thing' Named Best Movie of the 1980s
Critics Poll: ‘Mulholland Drive' Named Best Film of the 2000s
g4.jpg
Critics' Poll: ‘Goodfellas' Named Best Movie of the 1990s
Critics Poll: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road' Named Best Movie of the 2010s
World of Reel tagline.PNG
 

Content

Contribute

Hire me

 

Support

Advertise

Donate

 

About

Team

Contact

Privacy Policy

Site designed by Jordan Ruimy © 2023