IsJustin Timberlakeportraying a cold-blooded killer? The first trailer for Netflix’s upcoming murder mysteryReptilehas dropped, but don’t expect to find any spoilers or answers here. However, the suspenseful footage does give fans a very close look at both Timberlake and Benicio Del Toro’s ambiguous characters in director Grant Singer’s upcoming thriller. Check out the brand-new footage below:
Detective Tom Nichols (Del Toro) and his team are trying to unravel the mystery of a real estate agent who has been murdered, and she just happened to be married to Timberlake’s suspicious character. Del Toro talked about the part of Detective Tom Nichols, which he portrays inReptile, and working alongside Singer. Del Toro said in an interview withNetflix Tudum:
“He’s a man of destiny. He’s a man who gets a second chance, but then something happens, and a reckoning occurs. The collaboration was a lot of fun. Once we knew where we needed the story to land, then the question becomes, ‘How do we get there? How do we make it interesting?’ We did research and tried to make it as real as possible. We talked about movies and storytelling with certain films as references. One that comes to mind is In Cold Blood.”
In the footage, it’s clear that the husband (Timberlake) is keeping something hidden from Detective Nichols. “I’ll tell you a secret,” the husband says. “But first, I’m going to need you to do something for me.” And judging fromReptile’sfirst trailer, Timberlake’s unnamed character isn’t the only one fans should be worried about.
Related:Netflix’s Reptile: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know
The First Trailer for Netflix’s Reptile Sheds Its Skin
In addition to starring in Netflix’sReptile,Benicio Del Toroalso serves as the screenplay’s co-writer along with director Grant Singer and Benjamin Brewer. The first trailer for the mystery paints the portrait of a dark thriller, in which anyone could have killed the young real estate agent. Del Toro said in the same interview with Netflix Tudum:
“I liked the unpredictability. There were a couple of what I like to call ‘Oh, sh—’ moments that also compelled me to get involved.”
During one scene in the trailer, Detective Nichols (Del Toro) and his wife (Alicia Silverstone) are pulled over by a police car in the dead of night. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?” Nichol’s wife whispers. Nichols stares at her, as he pulls out his revolver, while a cover of Juice Newton’s songAngel of the Morningeerily resonates. Clearly, Timberlake’s character isn’t the only one keeping secrets, and the actor relished the opportunity to play his role inReptileafter having been hooked by the story. Timberlake also told Tudum:
“I wanted to get to the end as quickly as possible — just like a good book or suspenseful novel. I liked the idea of playing a character that has to constantly react to the unpredictability of what’s thrown in his direction.”
In addition to playing Del Toro’s wife inReptile, the film was a long-overdue, on-screen reunion for Silverstone and Del Toro. Back in 1997, the pair starred together in director Marco Brambilla’sExcess Baggage. The action comedy also starred Christopher Walken and Harry Connick Jr., but Del Toro and Silverstone played the leads and shared most of the movie’s screen time together. Del Toro spoke of their reunion with Tudum:
“It was great reconnecting with her. She’s smart and she had great ideas. Alicia brought everything we wanted for the character and more.”
Silverstone added:
“There’s a deep mutual respect and appreciation, so that makes it work well. I was honored that they asked me to do it and that he wanted to work with me again.”
Reptilebegins streaming exclusively via Netflix on October 6. But for those who want to catch a sneak peek at the upcoming mystery,Reptilewill have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Thursday, September 7 at 11:30 a.m. CDT. This is a press and industry screening, butReptilewill be shown four more times over the course of the film festival.
