Netflix viewers hail new mystery Reptile despite critical reception as ‘best movie in a long time’
Netflix fans have defied film critics as they emerged with praise for the platform’s new murder mystery film Reptile.
The film – starring Justin Timberlake, Benicio Del Toro and Alicia Silverstone – has been described by some viewers as Netflix’s “best movie in a long, long time,” despite critical reception being overwhelmingly negative.
Since its release on September 29 on the streaming giant, Reptile has achieved a score of just 42 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
But one viewer wrote on X: ‘Reptile is Netflix’s best movie in a long, long time. Benicio Del Toro is brilliant, Alicia Silverstone is excellent and the story is captivating throughout.
‘Also very good to see Justin Timberlake. Highly recommend. One of my favorites of 2023.’
Split decision: Netflix fans have praised the platform’s new murder mystery Reptile, despite the film doing poorly with critics (Photo: Justin Timberlake as Will Grady)
Star: One point of unity between critics and those who praised the film was the recognition of Benico Del Toro’s performance as Detective Tom Nichols (above)
‘Must watch’: Despite hostile reception from critics, viewers described Reptile as ’10/10′ and ‘Netflix’s best movie in a long time’
The praise for del Toro and Silverstone is something critics generally agreed on, despite the low ratings, which were portrayed as despite those actors’ efforts rather than because of them.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus reads: “Strong work from Benicio del Toro and Alicia Silverstone isn’t enough to make up for Reptile’s convoluted and ultimately disappointing story.”
The film’s synopsis describes a world of lies behind the murder of a real estate agent, with Del Toro’s character uncovering layer after layer of deception.
And fan satisfaction with the plot, compared to critics, was not isolated, with another
Another added: ‘God damn Benicio Del Toro killed it in Reptile, the best Netflix movie I’ve seen in a while!’
Others described Reptile, directed by Grant Singer, as ’10/10′ and a ‘must see’, but there were also those who agreed with the critics.
One viewer said that ‘Reptile on Netflix put me to sleep three times’, while others called it ‘terrible’ and a ‘waste of time’.
Divisive: Some viewers were not very impressed with the film, which has a running time of 2 hours and 14 minutes