This week, Netflix has premiered Reptile, a new neo-noir crime thriller co-written by Benicio del Toro, Benjamin Brewer, and director Grant Singer. And it’s a throwback to similar movies in the genre from the 1990s and early 2000s. Del Toro stars in the film as Detective Tom Nichols, a man who is tasked with solving the brutal murder of Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz). Summer’s boyfriend, Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), discovered her body, but he can’t escape suspicion for her death. In fact, there seems to be no shortage of male suspects who were involved in Summer’s life.
However, the film is about more than just the case. While Tom’s wife, Judy Nichols (Alicia Silverstone), is able to share her insights into Summer’s murder, her relationship with Tom may not be what it seems. And Tom’s life will soon unravel before his eyes.
We predict that Reptile will quickly climb the ranks of Netflix’s 10 most popular movies. And once you’ve finished enjoying Reptile‘s twists and turns, we suggest that you should watch these three movies next.
The Little Things (2021)
It’s almost too easy to believe Jared Leto is a serial killer in The Little Things. Leto’s character, Albert Sparma, checks every box for a psychopathic killer … but there just isn’t any evidence to put him away. That’s why Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (The Equalizer 3‘s Denzel Washington) can’t give up on trying to prove that Sparma is guilty even when the case is no longer in his jurisdiction.
When a young woman named Rhonda Rathbun (Maya Kazan) goes missing, Deacon convinces Detective James “Jim” Baxter (Rami Malek) that Sparma is responsible. But as Sparma continues to taunt both men about his possible involvement, Deacon and Baxter have to determine just how far they will go to prove Sparma’s guilt.
Watch The Little Things on Max.
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Ben Affleck made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone, and cast his younger brother, Casey Affleck, in the lead as private investigator Patrick Kenzie. Patrick and his partner/girlfriend, Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), find themselves in way over their heads when they accept a case to find Amanda McCready (Madeline O’Brien), a missing four-year-old girl who may have been kidnapped.
Patrick and Angie soon discover that Amanda’s mother, Helene McCready (Only Murders in the Building‘s Amy Ryan), has been less than forthcoming about her criminal ties and how they may relate to Amanda’s disappearance. Patrick is convinced that a local drug dealer named Cheese (Edi Gathegi) kidnapped Amanda, but the case proves to be far more complicated than either Patrick or Angie suspected.
Watch Gone Baby Gone on Paramount+.
The Killer Inside Me (2010)
Casey Affleck also starred in The Killer Inside Me as a decidedly darker character than the one he portrayed in Gone Baby Gone. In this adaptation of Jim Thompson’s novel, Affleck plays Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford, a man who is far more dangerous than the criminals that he is supposed to lock up. Ford is more than just amoral — he’s a psychopath with a badge who doesn’t think twice about cheating on his girlfriend, Amy Stanton (Kate Hudson), or murdering anyone who gets in his way.
Ford finds a willing partner in crime in Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba), a prostitute who accepts his physical abuse. But as Ford’s criminal activities become too brazen, even his fellow deputies openly suspect that he’s corrupt. And no one is safe when Ford attempts to cover his tracks and hide his crimes.
Watch The Killer Inside Me on Tubi.