The Kid Detective

A quirky murder mystery by Evan Morgan had unconventional steps to reveal the truth. I wasn't thoroughly impressed but had genuine LOL moments. Adam Brody is the best thing here cause you can't miss both his coming of age story and investigation process.

A once famous child detective who solved hundreds of cases around town and in school grows up to be something of a failure as an adult (Brody), haunted by the disappearance years ago of a girl who helped him. One day a girl turns up (Nelisse) asking him to solve the murder of her boyfriend.

Well executed comedy thriller with some genuinely funny scenes throughout as Brody does his best to investigate with little or no information and no support from family and friends. His somber, half drunken / stoned approach makes for an amusing character to be with. Interestingly about 30 minutes from the end it all gets very dark indeed as the fog clears for Brody. A really good effort.

I stumbled across this movie completely by accident (and with help of the current COVID situation), and I am so glad I did. An excellent film with many twists and turns, some dark humor, and also a story of lost and found potential.

It is a shame that more people have not found this movie; hopefully streaming and word of mouth will help it get a bigger audience. My only problem with it is the music that plays over the last scene; really does not seem to fit.

This movie is actually really really great. The ideas, the distinctive characters, the acting and plot were all on spot. That's all I have to say. Now go watch and tell me what you think.

Abe Applebaum (Adam Brody) is a world-weary 32 year old private detective working his small cases. He is pitied. Twenty years earlier, he solved a big case at school and became adorably known as The Kid Detective. He solved all kinds of fun kiddie cases. It all came crashing down when his kiddie secretary Gracie Gulliver gets kidnapped and he failed to find her. Her disappearance haunts him to this day. Caroline (Sophie Nélisse) walks in with a big case. Her boyfriend was brutally murdered.

This is a lot better than I expected. Mostly, I found the mystery to be very compelling and the shocking reveal only tops it. The issue is the movie's lighter tone and comedic touches. It works but it does clash with the story's dark material. It's a brutal depressing story. I do wonder if the movie should try for a dark neo-noir tone instead. Nevertheless, this is a very good indie.