Mystery/Comedy • 14A • 100 minutes • 2020
Who didn’t want to be an amateur child sleuth, solving the mystery of the missing lunch box, or finding the neighbour’s missing cat, only to be rewarded free ice cream as an award? I know I would. Now imagine it’s eighteen years later and you’re still solving the same crimes. Welcome to The Kid Detective, written and directed by Evan Morgan. Abe Applebaum (Adam Brody), a thirty-two-year-old, washed-up PI, is given a chance at redemption when he is hired by Caroline (Sophie Nélisse) to uncover who killed her high school boyfriend, in Abe’s first serious case since his childhood friend and assistant, fourteen-year-old Grace Gulliver (Kaitlyn Chalmers-Rizzato), went missing eighteen years previously. The Kid Detective is an enjoyable, at times laugh-out-loud comedy-mystery that does what so many independent mysteries do wrong. It sticks the landing! In what can only be described as an immersive and satisfying ending that connects all the puzzle pieces together.
Although set in the present day, The Kid Detective feels derived from your granddad’s nineteen-fifties era of nostalgia, viewed through Abe’s perspective as he looks back on his successful career as a young kid detective. At times, my eyes were rolling to the back of my skull when Jay McCarrol’s nineteen-fifties Scooby Doo-esque musical cues flared up. I was expecting to hear a high-pitched tremolo when Abe was on his tippy-toes, sneaking around a house. That being said, I’ll give the score a pass, as the score is there to reinforce nostalgia as a motivator, and by the end, forces you to confront the question: Was it all worth it? What happens when you build a life on chasing something only to catch it?
Let’s get into Adam Brody’s character. Abe, a washed-up loser living with a much younger roommate and working with a receptionist who hates him, casts constant doubts on his abilities and loathes her job. Things didn’t work out for him the way he thought they would. Abe’s constant chest pounding and pride he asserts anytime someone questions his capacity as a PI is always a memorable laugh. Brody balances his character’s proud yet depressed mentality exceptionally well, with his sardonic humour squeaking through, not to be funny (although it is), but to try and regain a position of control in the scene. Playing across from him is Sophia Nélisse’s innocent, naive, yet wise-for-her-years character, Caroline. Nélisse shines through in this delightful performance, whether it’s a twinkle in her eye or a blank, beyond-belief stare; her emotions glow through like a Norman Rockwell painting. She’s reserved without being boring, and sweet without bringing down the film’s ambient tone. Between Caroline’s straight-man attitude and Abe’s bitter, conspiracy-brained antics, the film is grounded in a great buddy duo.
What I appreciate about this film, among performances and direction, is Mike McLaughlin’s cinematography. He creates a clear, atmospheric look without feeling moody or overdramatic. Natural light almost always illuminates the scene, and contrast lines the character’s faces, delicately merging and balancing a style suited for both humorous and dramatic scenes. With the film’s bygone-era aesthetics and McLaughlin’s natural tone, it feels purposeful while still set in the modern day, creating a picture unique to the story.
Evan Morgan’s The Kid Detective is a fun and smart film for anyone who wants a good mystery and a few solid laughs along the way. With its down-to-earth style, strong performances, and a director who doesn’t hold your hand, this film stands out as a strong indie, with a robust vision of what it knows it is and isn’t.
Where to Watch
Also worth checking: CBC Gem (often carries Canadian titles not listed elsewhere).
about the author
Merrick Gajdics is founder, publisher and editor of The Canadian Film Reviewer.