Reptile is a US crime drama. Benicio del Toro plays the protagonist police detective Tom Nichols. As he solves a brutal murder case and more in this slow-burning crime tale.
The story of this film is inspired by a true and tragic crime incident of Lindsay Buziak of Canada. She was murdered in a similar manner. Her murder case remains unresolved.
Summary (synopsis) of this 2023 film from Hollywood
Following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent Summer Elswick (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz), a hardened New England detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) unflinching in his pursuit to uncover the truth in a case. In this murder case, there is nothing as it seems, and by doing so, he dismantles the illusions in his own life.
Review of the Reptile (2023) film
Inspired by a true crime
Most likely this film is inspired by a true crime story, as we have mentioned in the above paragraph. However, its writers have not confirmed this fact about its inspiration.
We are sharing an excerpt from the news article that described the tragic murder case of Lindsay Buziak. Now, let us take a look at the true crime incident that may have inspired it.
Lindsay Buziak, a 24-year-old real estate agent, was fatally stabbed in a second-floor bedroom of a home she had arranged to show to what she thought were prospective buyers in the Gordon Head area of Saanich (in Vancouver Island, Canada) on Feb. 2, 2008. More than a decade later, the case remains unsolved.
Lindsay Buziak’s father still seeks answers | Saanich News
About actors – Benicio del Toro & Alicia Silverstone
A seasoned and experienced police detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) uncovers a complex web of deception. He digs deeper for the truth behind the brutal murder of a young real estate agent Summer Elswick (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) in the film. Wish we could share the details about the murderer, but most definitely that will ruin your viewing pleasure. Just in case, if you are still interested, then we have shared the spoilers below.
Both the leading actors in this film – Benicio del Toro (Tom Nichols) and Alicia Silverstone (Judy Nichols) are in excellent form in this tension-filled police-procedural mystery drama. Although we are okay with the leisurely pace of this complex story-telling, we believe some viewers may not appreciate it. We think a much faster pace of the investigative thriller story would have made it a tighter and much better film for viewers like us.
It is a good movie to watch if you are a fan of Benicio del Toro and Alicia Silverstone. In the mid-1990s, both of them were dating each other. Now, in this film, Alicia’s character is an active and brave life partner, who often helps her husband solve crimes in it by giving her feedback. Also, she is a tough lady, who is aware of her husband’s tough job environment.
In one of the key scenes from this film, we find that Benicio del Toro (Tom Nicholos) liked the use of the hands-free faucet in a . So, he got the hands-free faucet installed in his house. He was going to keep his hands clean of the mess and dirt around him. These scenes in the movie symbolize that Benicio del Toro (Tom) was not going to get involved in murky scenarios, in all probability.
About its ensemble cast & other key elements of the film
The rest of the ensemble cast members – Justin Timberlake (Will Grady), Ato Essandoh (Dan Cleary), Eric Bogosian (Robert Allen), Domenick Lombardozzi (Wally), Mike Pniewski (Marty Graeber), Frances Fisher (Camille Grady), etc. have played their part in this murder mystery part. We liked the way, it uses the ominous and haunting background music in it. We liked the background music in this movie. It appealed to our hearing senses. Its filmmaker has used it smartly to cause stress and heighten the tension among its viewers.
So, go ahead and check this exclusive clip from the Reptile film on YouTube, wherein Tom is in action. Also check the background music, which is eerie to say the least.
There are enough twists and turns in its story to keep you hooked on the film. On the other hand, we could guess some of the expected and unexpected developments in its tale.
Sadly, in the real-life murder case of Lindsay Buziak, the police have yet to catch the killer. However, the killer and associates are caught in the film and the viewers get the closure.
Thankfully, the reel-life is better than the real-life.
Spoilers alert of this 2023 film from Hollywood
Who & Why of the murder in the film
So, who murdered Summer Elswick and why in the Reptile film?
Police Detective Tom Nichols learnt that Judy Nichols’ uncle Captain Robert Allen and some of his police colleagues were corrupt and involved in the cover-up.
These dishonest cops – Chief of Police Marty Graeber, Police Captain Robert Allen, and Wally are all connected with the murder and a much larger conspiracy to hide the ongoing crimes. These people deliberately concealed the proofs and facts associated with Summer’s cruel lynching by her husband Wally. So in the cover-up of the heinous murder of Summer Elswick, they all participated.
These dirty cops were running a corrupt scheme to launder easy money. And they were misusing Will Grady’s real estate firm for the money laundry operations. So, these bunch of crooked cops covered up to protect themselves, as any kind of murder investigation would have exposed their involvement in it.
Robert Allen hid the car used by the murderer, while Wally always tried to lure Tom with easy money and other kinds of inducements, including the police medal award.
Key details of this 2023 film from Hollywood
| Genre | Crime, Drama |
| Original language | English (USA) |
| Released in | September, 2023 |
| Age-restrictions | UA (16+) |
| Duration | 2 hours 14 minutes |
| Writers | Benjamin Brewer, Grant Singer, & Benicio del Toro |
| Director | Grant Singer |
| Cast | Benicio del Toro (Tom Nichols), Alicia Silverstone (Judy Nichols), Justin Timberlake (Will Grady), Ato Essandoh (Dan Cleary), Eric Bogosian (Robert Allen), Domenick Lombardozzi (Wally), Mike Pniewski (Marty Graeber), Frances Fisher (Camille Grady), etc. |
| Taglines | Fear The Truth. Shed The Lies. |
| Network | Netflix. |
Poster of this 2023 film from Hollywood
FM rating of this 2023 film from Hollywood
| FM’s rating | 3.75/5 |
| FM’s short comment | We also loved the on-screen chemistry between Benicio and Alicia, who plays his charming wife. And they make it a compelling film to watch. |
Trailer of this 2023 film from Hollywood
If you like watching murder mystery films from the US, then go ahead and read our FM article about the Boston Strangler film, too.
Featured Image and Poster of the Reptile film are courtesy of Netflix.