Adam Brody brings a nuanced performance as the protagonist in the The Kid Detective.
While the movie is a fun ride, it does have several horrific scenes. Director, Evan Morgan, wrote this smart detective noir-ish screenplay and contrasted it with a bright cinematic palette that transitions darker as the story unfolds. Mike McLaughlin’s cinematography finely sets the tone and style of the piece, one which on the onset seems to be a wholesome story, only to unfold into a darkened turn of events. Brody plays Abe Applebaum, a former child prodigy who has solved over 200 cases, however all of them trivial. One case that eluded him was of his childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared. Burdened with the task of recovering her, Abe fails and subsequently has a downward spiral into drugs and alcohol. At the age of 32, Abe finds a chance at redemption. Teenager Caroline (Sophie Nélisse) seeks him out to solve the murder of her boyfriend. The world of their small town begins to cast a shadow and the town’s several shady characters become shrouded in mystery. Brody who is best known for his starring role as Seth Cohen on the “O.C.”, re-establishes himself as a leading man and delivers depth to a role which could have been for many actors only surface-level. Nélisse is an actor to watch, an actress with a bright future who plays well with Brody’s dead-pan style. Morgan’s direction is spot on. He is bound to helm larger budget pictures soon.
This is a movie, where in future years, you'll see where his talent was rooted.
