X
- 2020
- R
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- 1 h 40 m
- 2020
- R
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- 1 h 40 m
Summary A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.
Directed By: Evan Morgan
Written By: Evan Morgan
- 2020
- R
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- 1 h 40 m
- 2020
- R
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- 1 h 40 m
The Kid Detective
74
7.1
Where to Watch
Summary A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.
Directed By: Evan Morgan
Written By: Evan Morgan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
74
93% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
74
93% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed Kid Detective. It’s not the kind of picture that wins awards, which is too bad because nestled within a traditional tale of a detective in need of redemption, is a story surprisingly unique and humane.
The Kid Detective is an unexpected mix of disparate elements that in the wrong hands could have resulted in lumpy parody but, fortunately, pours out as something smooth, funny, dark and potent.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 38 User Ratings
7.1
68% Positive
26 Ratings
26 Ratings
26% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 38 User Ratings
7.1
68% Positive
26 Ratings
26 Ratings
26% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
This movie is incredible. The acting, pacing, dialogue along with the amazing filmmaking make this a must see even if you aren’t into the “Scooby” like vibe it gives off at times. Even the music is perfect from the original score to popular song cues. In comparison it’s not as heavy as the movie “Brick,” but it’s also not a comedy like “Mystery Team.” I honestly can’t recommend this movie enough. If you are in the mood for a murder mystery with a very unique style you can’t go wrong here. Just be prepared. It gets really dark at the end.
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Funny, dark, odd, creative, The Kid Detective is great. The acting is solid, the editing is top notch and the script was tight.
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Evan Morgan’s sometimes weird, sometimes whimsical thriller delivers a grown-up blend of film-noir tropes and deadpan humor, for a comedy-drama which starts off lighthearted and then deftly darkens.
Early in the film, Morgan is careful to highlight Abe’s talent in predicting a movie’s twist (“She poisoned his drink!”). It is extremely doubtful, though, that anyone could guess what happens at the end of The Kid Detective.
Morgan's script generously allows us to deduce the truth just before Abe stumbles across it, which is not to say it doesn't have some real surprises left. It's fun to watch Abe put A and B together, and to regain some of his self-respect in the process.
So, really, what does happen when a kid detective grows up? In Morgan’s hands, something curious, laced with pitch black comedy and a major dose of tragedy, a winking sense of genre, and a stellar performance from Brody.
Laughter and enjoyment is stifled by the constant question of whether we’re allowed to laugh or enjoy anything at all.
Por mais improvável e até mesmo anticlimático que tenha sido o desfecho do caso, é inegável um trabalho cujo roteiro é muito bem amarrado, desses que primam por contar uma boa história e tentam ser convincentes.
Ao falar de um garoto com talento para resolução de mistérios, o qual cresce com grande potencial para ser um detetive de primeira, o filme abre espaço para discutirmos como deixamos escapar pelas mãos as nossas potencialidades, Indo além, o filme pincela discussões sobre como esses tais "sonhos" profissionais não seriam simplesmente condicionantes sociais, seja dos pais ou dos professores, ou vizinhos.
Há também espaço para piadas ácidas sobre a decadência moral de uma juventude no meio de drogas ou que utiliza o espaço da escola para tudo menos para estudar, confluindo em uma série de escapes que vao fazendo do filme o retrato de uma juventude meio perdida, até mesmo o dom que ele achava ter parece fake.
Há também uma boa sacada ao confrontar os protecionismo dos pais (a cena em que os pais o perseguem no ofício), a identidade obscura de personagens (ninguém é santo), mostrando que o filme tenta tecer várias camadas.
Eu apontei o verbo "tentar" pois embora o filme abra espaço para bons discursos, é somente uma história bem feita, bem amarrada, e nada muito primoroso. Em tempos que o roteiro não se dá ao luxo sequer de fazer sentido, a história vai se desenrolando de maneira gostos de acompanhar, e o desfecho acaba entrelaçando vários casos do nosso protagonista detetive, mostrando que nada soara gratuito.
Enfim, um bom filme para passar o tempo e com um mistério policial para tornar a sessão mais convidativa.
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The premise was interesting enough to give it a chance and I am glad I did. I thought the bits of humor scattered throughout were well-placed and didn't overwhelm the seriousness of the plot. Solid acting by the cast, The plot had a good mystery to it and overall, it was an enjoyable experience.
The only real flaw of it would be that it can be a bit long once you get to the second half. I think it easily could have been 10 minutes shorter by cutting out the needless filler that weights down the middle of the film. It would certainly improve the pacing a bit as well.
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A small but surprising film, perhaps not so attractive, but solidly built, mostly because it doesn't resort to making the mystery obvious, and yet it doesn't try to make it a brutal puzzle either.
Adam Brody doesn't make a memorable performance, but it's definitely the most decent thing he's done in his career.
A curious dramatic twist for him, and he manages to make it effective.
It's worth the shot.
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Production Company
Woods Entertainment,
JoBro Productions & Film Finance
Release Date Oct 16, 2020
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating R
Tagline No longer a kid. Not much of a detective.
Awards
Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 4 Nominations
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
• 1 Nomination
