Reptile (2023)

[BloodshotUSA]

The movie was entertaining but was a complete mess. Story was bloated and had plot points that could have easily been cut from the film i.e-the weirdo couple that Timberlake shows the house too, the painted church, the contractor subplot.

The movie introduces so many plot points that don't get elaborated on or don't lead to anything that it started to confusing just what was actually going on. Movie was carried by the performances of Benicio and Alicia Silverstone. Without them, not only is the movie a mess but its not even watchable. An awful performance by Justin Timberlake, who by the 3rd act its like the filmmakers forgot he was even in the movie. Should have had Michael Pitt play his role.

I feel like by the time the credits role the movie thinks its solved the mystery for viewers but it just leaves more questions that the movie seemingly forgets about.

[Show spoiler]Did Timberlake actually commit the murder? You see him smiling over the body in a flashback but you never see him do it.

Why is Allen, Benicio's boss and Alicia Silverstone's uncle, trying to warn Benicio to run at the end? Allen's already shown that he's involved? Why is he freaking out over Benicio handing over the hard drive to someone else who wound up being involved in the scheme anyway?

What happened with Benicio in Philly?

How does Benicio's wife know so much about crime/murder? Was she an ex-cop? Also, what was the deal with Benicio's hand at the beginning?

What so much emphasis on the bite marks? They ultimately led nowhere.

What about the suspect with a limp? (this might've been Allen since he tells Benicio he has MS and he is struggling to walk later in the movie).

How was the ex-husband involved? If he wasn't involved, and the cops planted the heroin in his apartment, then why did he take Benicio's partners gun and start shooting?

What other cops are involved? You've got Benicio and the "us vs them" moment with all the cops at the poker table and none of them are revealed as being involved. Accept for Allen and Wally, who we know where already involved. Benicio takes out the 2 cops in the shootout at the end and that's that apparently.

Is Timberlake's mom involved?

When the guy busts into Michael Pitts apartment and Timberlake says "I believe you two know each other". Who was it and how did they know each other? Presumably Michael Pitt got killed off at this point and apparently no one is even aware of it because he never gets mentioned in the story.

What the hell was the actual conspiracy all about? Wally, Allen etc are planting heroin in houses to make busts so the houses foreclose and then Timberlake can buy them at a low rate and sell them for a giant profit? So Timberlake's girlfriend/finance finds out and she gets killed by?

Movie is a 6/10. Barely. Movie wanted to be Prisoners or True Detective so badly and came up way short. Only carried by some great actor's who don't phone in this mess of a script.