Review: Benicio del Toro shines as a seasoned detective in Reptile

If you're patient, though, there are rewards.

Reptile - the title being a somewhat strained metaphor referencing a snakeskin in the story and the idea of changing identities or revealing new facets of character - is a murder mystery set in Scarborough, Maine.

Summer (Matilda Lutz), a real estate agent, is found murdered in a house by her boyfriend, Will Grady (Justin Timberlake).

The two of them, and Will's mother Camille (Frances Fisher), have had a scheme in which they buy foreclosed properties, usually at bargain prices, and flip them. It's not illegal but might seem a bit opportunistic and it's not hard to see how it could produce enemies.

Police detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro), a new arrival from Philadelphia, and his partner Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh) are put on the case.

Will, obviously, is a suspect - he and Summer appear to have had some strain in their relationship.

But there are others, including Summer's estranged husband Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman), who seems rather peculiar, and Eli (Michael Pitt), who bears a grudge since his father killed himself after Will took the family farm.

While conducting the investigation, Tom also takes an interest in the renovation of his house.

Alicia Silverstone is good in an underwritten role as Tom's wife Judy, a good sounding board whose perspective helps her husband.

In one of those small-town situations, Judy's uncle, Robert Allen (Eric Bogosian), is also Tom's chief, so they see a lot of him and of other colleagues like Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi) and Marty (Mike Pniewski).

Director Karl Singer, who wrote the script with Benjamin Brewer and del Toro, made his feature film debut here.

Previously he made the documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder and many music videos - for Lorde, Sam Smith, Troye Sivan and many other artists.

The latter aspect of his career might account for the occasional flashy visual and editing touches, which don't alleviate the longeurs in the storytelling.

Reptile is far too long for its material.

There is quite a bit happening here, with revelations that there's a lot more crime going on than one murder, but the pace is slow, and not in an atmospheric way.

You do have to pay attention to connect the dots - not everything is wrapped up neatly with a bow - and that's fine.

But a bit more snap in the storytelling would have helped, especially since the characters mostly aren't very fleshed out, and there's little sense of the peril or menace that might be expected as Tom keeps making discoveries.

The actors are good and distinctive enough to help viewers keep track of the stream of characters. Even Timberlake, a music star often criticised for his film forays, is smarmily effective.

I wouldn't want to pay cinema prices to see this. But as part of a Netflix package, it might be worth a look if you have the time and patience.