The Adam Brody crime comedy you need to watch on Netflix this weekend
Since Netflix loves to elevate weekend marathons, if you want a hilarious pitch with a high-concept premise that evolves into a genuinely unpredictable, emotionally resonant neo-noir mystery, The Kid Detective is probably the end of your search.
Despite the “Kid” in the title, the crime-comedy movie based on the Encyclopaedia Brown book series is rated R+ for language, content, and some extremely dark, gritty thematic elements. So, don’t mistake The Kid Detective for an under-18 siblings’ movie night recommendation; keep it saved for the adults who refuse to grow up instead!
Directed by Evan Morgan, The Kid Detective is a mystery comedy that stars Adam Brody as Abe Applebaum, a man who was once a celebrated child prodigy famous for solving petty neighbourhood mysteries. As a grown-up, Applebaum has unfortunately turned into a depressed, hungover, washed-up individual still taking on trivial kid-level cases.
But that’s only until a teenage girl walks in, seeking Abe’s assistance in tracking down the killer who brutally murdered her boyfriend.
While The Kid Detective walks a tricky tightrope between deadpan comedy and a hard-boiled detective story, the movie doesn’t stay consistently light-hearted. As the investigation deepens, the stakes rise at large.
Although Brody delivers one of his career-best performances in the 2020 movie, effortlessly capturing the pathetic, weary charm of a guy trapped in his own past glory days, as a viewer, if you’re tired of predictable thrillers, The Kid Detective does a brilliant job of subverting tropes from classic detective noirs while keeping you genuinely guessing till the credits roll.
Instead of playing the concept purely for the laughs, the crime comedy leans into the melancholy and dark reality of a person stuck in their bygone era, making the eventual descent into a real, high-stakes murder mystery feel earned.
Additionally, The Kid Detective is scheduled to hit Netflix shelves on August 1st, giving audiences the perfect opportunity to witness Brody’s magic from the front row without worrying about racing against time to grab a damn ticket. While the movie has already suffered theatrical setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans now have the perfect chance to make its streaming presence worth it.
So, if you didn’t already know, make the reminder count before the flow of Netflix’s streaming influx affects your memory. Happy streaming!