For my money Benicio del Toro is an instant draw and he’s handed a tasty role in the sleek new crime thriller “Reptile”. It marks the feature-film directorial debut from Grant Singer who co-wrote the screenplay with del Toro and Benjamin Brewer. Playing like a gritty whodunnit but with a dash of neo-noir flavoring, “Reptile” revolves around the brutal murder of a young real estate agent and a hard-boiled detective’s relentless search for answers.

In classic whodunnit fashion, the truth is elusive in “Reptile”. New characters enter the picture, each framed as potential suspects with their own potential motivations. Del Toro’s Detective Tom Nichols is the one tasked with sorting out facts from fiction. As he tries, “Reptile” takes on the feel of a slow-burning police procedural. One that uncoils at a methodical pace (perhaps too slow for some) yet maintains its simmer.

But what sets it apart is the strange and slightly offbeat vibe that permeates the entire movie. “Reptile” is very much a crime thriller. But Singer takes it in some peculiar and even darkly funny directions. It takes a few minutes to get in sync (bad joke intended) with what he’s doing. But once you do, its smattering of cliches and overtly obvious needle drops end up adding to the movie’s quirky appeal.

Set in the New England suburb of Scarborough and with Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning” echoing in the background, we’re introduced to power couple Will (Justin Timberlake) and Summer (Matilda Lutz). They’re high-end realtors selling pricey homes in an affluent part of town. As for their relationship, there is some clear tension from the get-go. Enough that when Summer ends up savagely murdered, Will is immediately the prime suspect.

Switch to Detective Tom Nichols, a fascinating protagonist made so through del Toro’s wily performance. Throughout his career del Toro has excelled at playing intense and often eccentric characters. Here he’s a far cry from your prototypical movie cop. He sports a jet-black pompadour, loves Oklahoma square dancing, and has a deep appreciation for well-designed kitchens. He’s also fiercely dedicated to his work which now includes finding Summer’s killer. It’s a spellbinding lead performance.

While a big chunk of the movie follows Tom’s investigation, we also spend a lot of time with him away from the case. Much of it is with his wife, Judy (a deliciously cryptic Alicia Silverstone). They have an interesting chemistry that is a nice change of pace from the more conventional movie marriages. Then you have Tom’s close friends from the Scarborough Police Department that includes his Captain and Judy’s Uncle, Robert (Eric Bogosian), his partner, Dan (Ato Essandoh), and his mouthy fellow officer, Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi).

As often happens in movies like this, both of Tom’s worlds collide as the truths (yes, plural) finally make their ways to the surface. The story ventures down some unexpected paths and the mystery (unsurprisingly) proves to be more complicated than Tom ever imagined. There are a few too many red herrings and not all the suspects are given enough time to feel like consequential pieces of the puzzle. And that’s saying something considering the film clocks in at a lengthy 136 minutes.

Yet “Reptile” never feels long and remains enthralling throughout in large part thanks to the beguiling lead work from Benicio del Toro. Less effective is Timberlake who seems to be channeling Ben Affleck from “Gone Girl” but never as convincing. Other performances make up for it including Frances Fisher as Will’s domineering mother and Karl Glusman as Summer’s creepy ex-husband. They help fill out a mostly excellent ensemble that gels nicely with Singer’s fittingly dark and deliberately peculiar world. “Reptile” releases on Netflix this Friday, September 29th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS