The Kid Detective

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The Kid Detective

R

2020

1h 39m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. But a naive client brings him his first adult case -- to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

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Critics Consensus

A low-key charmer led by Adam Brody's sharp performance, The Kid Detective uncovers dark comedy in a story of unfulfilled childhood potential.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

12/02/2020

For me it the funny bits weren't funny enough the tragic bits weren't tragic enough and the tragic comedy never sat as easily together as it should have done.

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Linda Marric

The Jewish Chronicle

11/21/2020

4/5

Evan Morgan must be commended for crafting one of the most compelling neo-noirs of recent times, especially in his ability to skirt around some heavy subjects without a hint of contrivance.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

11/21/2020

4/5

Writer-director Evan Morgan's deft screenplay balances a taut crime story against a textured character study.

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Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

12/10/2024

4/5

This film’s riff on Disney detectives, its intentional misrepresentation, is clever in a way I wasn’t expecting. It’s a real original, and a treat.

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/11/2024

4/5

Oozing with style and delivering a top-notch mystery story, The Kid Detective is a refreshing piece of cinema with a poignant performance from Adam Brody.

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

09/09/2022

3.5/5

The Kid Detective satisfies a craving for a different type of detective story with its dark comedy and a sharp script that it handles with a deft hand.

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Madam D

@Madam1948 Jan 16

There were lines that made me laugh, but this was more of a sad drama. Lots of unanswered questions, like does he support himself or does his parents give him money?

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Troy R

@Grim16 Sep 8

Adam Brody does a great role, mostly carrying the movie by himself. The start is funny and silly, but it twists into a dark and deep ending. Particularly the final seen being a chilling scene that I imagine many who have gone through hardships can relate to. Story was great and it was even better because you never really saw the next step coming.

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IrateTyrant C

@IrateTyrant Feb 8

Move over MYSTERY TEAM, a movie with substance I truly enjoyed this movie. Adam Brody is wonderful, as always, and the director (Evan Morgan) is finally stepping into his own path. His previous credit was The Dirties, which I didn't really like that much, but respected for what it was. In the same vein, it takes a dark subject matter and provides light to it, before winding down into a strong ending message. The detective work in this one is what really drew me to the story. I've been reading a lot of detective novels, and this one really followed a great pace with those. The humor also really brought a lot of bonus entertainment. It begins as being almost comparable to Mystery Team (2009) but strays away from the formula little by little until the end reveal which is just a complete shocker. Sure, I should have seen it coming. Great movie.

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Gareth D

@HiGarethDavies Feb 8

Slow, stupid, funny parts not funny, dramatic parts not dramatic - overall a total wet sponge. Meh.

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Jackson S

01/11/2025

Good, what I think/hope is an original screenplay! It feels as if it as a coming of age aspect to it as Adam Brody’s character starts to come to terms with reality as it is and not as he perceives it. Does a great job of making you laugh and honestly feel emotion. It wasn’t really predictable either. The soundtrack was well done as it adds to the quirky and serous tones used throughout. A great job of pacing and not adding too much extra fluff to pad its run time. Definitely worth a watch!

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Paul G

12/23/2024

Adam Brody does a good job as the failed detective with finally a serious crime to investigate. It's got a nice feel to the film, it kept me interested and wanting Abe to succeed. Certainly worth a watch.

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Synopsis

A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. But a naive client brings him his first adult case -- to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Director: Evan Morgan
Producer: Jonathan Bronfman, William Woods
Screenwriter: Evan Morgan
Distributor: Stage 6, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Woods Entertainment, JoBro Productions & Film Finance
Rating: R (Drug Use|Brief Nudity|Language|Some Sexual References|Violence)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $363.2K
Runtime: 1h 39m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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