The Kid Detective is a neo-noir part Chinatown, part Brick by way of Harriet The Spy. The movie opens on a montage of the titular kid detective solving various cases a la various young adult series were all familiar with until his secretary, the mayor's daughter, disappears and he and the police come up empty. Flash forward 20 plus years and Abe(Adam Brody) is depressed burn out, grappling with his past failures and trading on his notoriety as a youth to make a living as a PI. Caroline(Sophie Nélisse) comes to Abe after her boyfriend is killed and he takes the case, seeing it as a chance at redemption.
Brody has some chops and he's able to give this stunted character some real heart and dimension, the script doesn't particularly utilize his comedic talent but does effectively play against his boyish look and charm. The supporting cast are all decent but virtually none of them are given much time to develop, they kind of fade in and out as narratively needed, and that's OK. The focus is on Brody and he carries the load.
The production is effective if not particularly inspired, the tone is a very strange mix of YA, small town mystery, and pretty dark noir. Overall it works but there are moments where it veers sharply tonally that can be a bit discordant. Like the production the script is sufficient, it's an excellent idea and it chugs along with character moments and plot reveals so you remain engaged but there is definitely the sense it could have been better, tighter, cleaner in its plotting. It meanders for most of the runtime and the ending drops so much information so quickly it feels rushed. There isn't much in the way of a build or cumulative tension which given what the movie is(a detective story) could have improved it.
An intriguing scrappy indie worth a watch if not quite a homerun.
Currently streaming on Starz and available on most VOD platforms.
Rent It.
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