The debut trailer for the Netflix film Reptile was released on Monday, showcasing Benicio Del Toro in the role of detective Tom Nichols, who is investigating the murder of a young real estate agent.
The suspects include the victim’s boyfriend, Will (played by Justin Timberlake), and her ex-boyfriend (played by Karl Glusman), along with several others.
Scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, Reptile features a star-studded cast including Alicia Silverstone, Sky Ferreira, Eric Bogosian, Domenick Lombardozzi, Frances Fisher, Ato Essandoh, Michael Carmen Pitt, and Matilda Lutz.
Benicio Del Toro, aged 56, and Alicia Silverstone, aged 46, portray a married couple in the film, marking their second collaboration since appearing together in the 1997 movie Excess Baggage.
“Reptile” serves as Grant Singer’s directorial debut in feature films. Previously, Singer directed music videos for renowned artists such as The Weeknd, Lorde, Troye Sivan, and Sam Smith. He also helmed the 2020 Netflix documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director described the atmosphere on the set of Reptile as “jovial, fun, excited, and happy,” as opposed to the film’s subject matter.
Sharing his thoughts on the film itself, he said, “I didn’t want to make something that felt cold and clinical and sterile. I wanted to make something that felt alive and warm and relatable and human, and I think that was certainly an intention of mine to sort of counteract the suspense or the unnerving sense of unease with warmth.”
“The movie will be exciting to people who like to watch something where you don’t know where it’s leading you, where a film is going to have twists and turns and deceive you,” he told EW. “And people who like things that are intense and visceral and suspenseful, I think they’ll find something exciting in this.”
Reptilewill be released in select theaters Sept. 29 and streaming on Netflix Oct. 6.