Benicio Del Toro co-writes this gritty, granular police procedural about a murdered real estate agent. Who killed her? Her fiancé, Justin Timberlake, her soon-to-be ex-husband, or a sketchy weirdo played convincingly by Michael Pitt?

But then, heavy spoiler alert, the final act: when Del Toro comes home one night from the job, he finds signs of a break in. The pool is leaking. You think, Oh no, the killer got to his wife!

But she's not dead - she's shot at Pitt and put a hole in the pool. Pitt is there, it turns out, to give Del Toro a clue. One of those handy thumb drives with all sorts of damning digital evidence.

The real estate thing involves the cops, and drugs, and something about money laundering. Del Toro confronts the cops, at one of their homes, at nine in the morning, and a shootout ensues. End of story.

He doesn't even go after Timberlake, who instead we see golfing in a penultimate scene, the the FBI ride up in a golf cart and nab him.

Roll credits.

I mean, Jesus.

What started out as a creepy, interesting story with lots of tension devolved into a by-the-numbers "corrupt cops" trope. Granted, a lot of this was done well. The pacing feels brisk, the editing crisp. Del Toro is great, his wife played by Alicia Silverstone is great, and it was refreshing to have their marriage be healthy and functional.

The music is on point, too. The direction and camera work consists of the usual intensive continuity with way too many close ups, but that's nearly every film today.

Se7en this is not. This is Netflix doing a pretty good job of creating a serviceable cop drama with some flashes of originality that ultimately isn't brave or bold enough to not fall victim to the most pat formula resolution.

I mean, who or what was "reptile" anyway? Who even actually killed the woman at the beginning? What was the significance of her wounds - being stabbed so hard the knife penetrated bone?? What were the potential bite marks on her hand all about?? It's like the writers thought to present a great mystery but only figured out how to solve some of it.

Close, Del Toro, but no cigar.

This slow-burner of a murder yarn may just turn out to be the best thriller of the year. A realtor is found dead by her colleague and partner who naturally becomes a suspect but then there are a few other men in her life who are also suspects; so far, so common-place but Grant Singer's "Reptile" is as much about the police investigating the killing as it is about the investigation. These are a close-knit bunch of cops who both work and play together and who may not be as clean as they should be.

A sterling cast, (Benicio Del Torro, Alicia Silverstone, Justin Timberlake, Eric Bogosian, Michael Pitt, Frances Fisher), add a further touch of class to an already classy thriller and one that is as far from conventional multiplex fare as you are likely to get. It may not always be that easy to follow and midway through the killing seems to fade into the background but it's always highly intelligent and while it may not appeal to a mass audience I think it has cult status written all over it.

Music-Director Grant Singer Teams-Up with Benicio del Toro and Delivers this "Netflix" Original for His 1st Feature-Film.

A Bleak Detective Thriller that is Driven by a Moody Neo-Noir Tone.

It's about del Toro, a Transplant Detective Trying to Avoid Mistakes-Made in the Past, and is Caught-Up in a Murder-Corruption Case where "Bad" is Overwhelmingly Everywhere.

He "Bites-the-Bullet" and Hunkers-Down as Events and Revelations Slow-Burn the Case and the Film.

The Tone is Suppressing, Dark, and Deep. More Reliant on Characters "Behaving Badly" than Action and Violence, although the Mood is Relentlessly Depressing and Cuts to the Bone.

Del Toro Nails His Inner-Turmoil Eating Away at His Soul Reflecting in His Demeanor Concerning His Job and His Wife (deliciously played by Alicia Silverstone).

A Stone-Faced Justin Timberlake is a Suspect. What Amounts to a Cameo by Eric Bergosian becomes Integral to the Story.

Worth a Watch.