Tone is such a tricky thing to get it right, particularly when you are juggling tones while blurring genres. The Kid Detective (2020) begins with a goofy premise – a kid detective (like Encyclopaedia Brown) who solved neighbourhood crimes, now a washed up adult still solving “cases” – and eventually becomes one of my favourite neo-noirs of recent years. All the while delivering a payload of deadpan gags throughout and giving Adam Brody (Seth of The O.C.) a real chance to shine in the leading role. Filmed in Canada and set in a suburban town, Brody is Abe Applebaum, who still rides off his childhood rep as a boy wonder sleuth though is a disappointment to his parents and an annoyance to his goth secretary (Sarah Sutherland from Veep; there’s a real Jonathan Katz-Laura dynamic in their relationship). When he gets a new client, a high school girl Caroline (Sophie Nélisse who is very good) who wants the murder of her boyfriend solved, Abe goes through the motions, hesitant to enter such a dark mystery, still haunted by a childhood friend who disappeared long ago. I won’t say anymore about the journey the film takes and it’s best to watch it without spoilers. There are great performances from supporting actors like Wendy Crewson, Tzi Ma, Maurice Dean Wint and more. Brody remains shambolic and charming, and finds an impressive groove in the comic beats and the serious scenes that the film mixes together. Written and directed by Evan Morgan, I was really taken by The Kid Detective and its smart navigation of tones and twists. Available to rent or buy on iTunes. Recommended.
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