Detective Tom Nichols (Benicio Del Toro) is on the trail of a killer — and the only thing standing in his way is his own past. “He’s a man of destiny,” Del Toro told Netflix about the character he plays in Reptile, a new thriller directed by Grant Singer. “He’s a man who gets a second chance, but then something happens and a reckoning occurs.”

As Detective Nichols, Del Toro (Traffic, The Usual Suspects) dives deep into the web of conspiracy and corruption that’s enveloping his small-town life. A new clip of the movie shows Nichols and his parter Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh) as they attempt to apprehend a suspect in a brutal murder that has rocked the stability of their town.

Alongside his starring role in the film, the Oscar winner co-wrote the screenplay with director Singer and Benjamin Brewer. It’s the first time in Del Toro’s long career that he’s had a screenplay credit on one of his movies. “The collaboration was a lot of fun,” Del Toro said. “Once we knew where we needed the story to land, then the question becomes, ‘How do we get there? How do we make it interesting?’ We did research and tried to make it as real as possible. We talked about movies and storytelling with certain films as references. One that comes to mind is In Cold Blood.”

What is the plot of Reptile?

Following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, a hardened detective attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems. By doing so, he dismantles the illusions in his own life.

“I liked the unpredictability,” Del Toro said of the film’s narrative. “There were a couple of what I like to call ‘Oh, shit’ moments that also compelled me to get involved.”

Justin Timberlake, who stars alongside Del Toro as the murder victim’s boyfriend Will, felt similarly. “I wanted to get to the end as quickly as possible — just like a good book or suspenseful novel,” he said. “I liked the idea of playing a character that has to constantly react to the unpredictability of what’s thrown in his direction.”

Who’s in the cast of Reptile?

Alicia Silverstone rounds out Reptile’s central cast as Judy, Detective Nichols’ wife. Silverstone and Del Toro previously worked together in 1997’s Excess Baggage, and both describe their reunion as a delight. “It was great reconnecting with her. She’s smart and she had great ideas,” Del Toro said. “Alicia brought everything we wanted for the character and more.”

“There’s a deep mutual respect and appreciation, so that makes it work well,” Silverstone said of their creative collaboration. “I was honored that they asked me to do it and that he wanted to work with me again.”

Also appearing in the film are Eric Bogosian, Ato Essandoh, Domenick Lombardozzi, and Michael Carmen Pitt.