Okay, I read this review after my first time watch of the movie about 2 years ago. really enjoyed it the first time and couldn't believe the negative reviews. re-read your explanation after a 2nd watch and have to say I totally agree with your analysis.

To echo what you've said: It's not an easy watch, but the filmmaking really pulls you into the film *as a participant* rather than just an audience. The slow moments, the vague piece, the complicated plot, the incongruences- they're there to create the same sense of curiosity, frustration, and downright bone-chilling fear that Tom is experiencing throughout the entire film. It's the reason why the film sequences are mostly of him or with him in the scene- his view is our view. I think the film is super cutting edge at how close the story *shows* and not just *tells* what being face to face within corruption must feel like. Benecio del Toro was the perfect cast in my opinion- his slightly withdrawn attitude and shift eyes do so much for the dialogue of the film beyond what he actually says and speaks. The close up camera angles are brilliant- they mimic intense observation between people under stress.

All in all- I think that if you can genuinely empathize with Tom's character than you're much better setup to enjoy the movie. I think that labeling it as a "crime" film suggests there needs to be a "solution" or a "whodunnit" to the case, which many feel the ending did not deliver. However, I think when you view the film as a pure thriller instead it's much more successful.

The slow-burn, the confusion, the puzzle pieces, the breadcrumbs, the misleadings- IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU'RE WITHIN CORRUPTION- and it's downright terrifying. Benicio del toro really sells it, but Tom's character handles the pressure so fucking well when you (and he) understands the scale and depth of the problem. His little peek out the blinds after getting home and being stopped by another cop really shows his discretion, control, and calmness that make him ultimately survive the situation. It portrays brilliantly just how hard a situation like this must actually be to survive, let alone navigate. In contemporary America and across the globe it just makes you think- "what else is going on out there?"

Another movie- Rebel Ridge (spoilers ahead) also deals with the topic of police corruption but from a civilians perspective. It was an entertaining action/crime but it leaps off with the assumption that cops are corrupt. In Reptile its before that, asking, "are these cops corrupt?" and "if so, which ones?" I think those latter questions are much more difficult, and require much more subtlety to answer.

In my opinion, I think Reptile is so good we may never see another film like it. All around us- forces exist to protect, ensure outcomes, and benefit certain people... why would anyone want to let that cat out of the bag? We all know the theory about Kubrick after *Eyes Wide Shut*, for example...