The Kid Detective (2020).
“Are you a detective or just some idiot who believes everything he is told?”
Directed by Evan Morgan
Written by Evan Morgan
Starring Adam Brody, Sophie Nelisse, Peter MacNeill, and Sarah Sutherland
1. (The Stage)
A once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. One morning he arrives at his office to find a naive 16-year-old who needs his help to solve a brutal murder.
2. (The Good)
Having just completed a screenplay about a kid detective, I felt obligated to check this out. I really loved this film. It’s a dark small-town mystery with a brilliant cast of characters and much needed moments of delightful comedy, not unlike other favorites of mine like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Brick.
Adam Brody plays Abe Applebaum. At thirteen, he was the talk of the town, solving small cases left and right, even earning a key to the city from the Mayor for his work recovering some stolen money. However, shortly after that, he couldn’t solve a big case that hit really close to home. At thirty-two, the guilt still consumes him, changing him from a confident, whip-smart detective into a bit of a lost soul. The town was also never the same. Brody plays the unsure gumshoe to perfection, often showing us small glimpses of a genius repressed deep inside of an exhausted, unhappy shell. Sophie Nelisse plays Caroline, a young woman who’s boyfriend was murdered. She’s great as Brody’s main side-kick through the film, even if she’s not really used for much other than driving him around. My guess is that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this French actress very soon.
The writing by Evan Morgan, who also directed the film, is snappy and hilarious, but never gets goofy enough to stall the serious bits of the film from landing. It’s a very smart film that will reward additional viewings. Like most movie fans, I was trying to figure out the mystery but I’ll be damned if my brain wasn’t stumbling around like a cow trying to walk across a dance floor. The small-town noir crime flick has always been one of my comfort film genres, and The Kid Detective snuggles right in with my favorites.
3. (The Bad)
I really don’t have anything bad to say about this film. Everything about it just sort of worked for me. I can see people not loving the very last scene, or not digging the intentional pace of the middle of the flick, but it just spoke to me on every level.
4. (The Ugly)
It’s really tough for Adam Brody to be ugly, but waking up butt-naked in a dumpster covered in trash…well that comes pretty close.
Of course the ugliest thing in this movie is revealed in the last ten minutes, but I can’t tell you what that is, you’ll just have to watch the film.
5. (The End)
I’m going to keep shouting The Kid Detective from the rooftops. If you’re down for a little Neo Noir by way of a darker Nice Guys, this is the flick for you. Brody is awesome, the script is engaging, the cinematography is on point, and the mystery will definitely keep you guessing until the bitter end.
I hope we get more of Abe Applebaum in the future.
