The Kid Detective
SONYWashed-up and crying for a way out, The Kid Detective presents Abe Applebaum (Adam Brody), a former detective wonderkid who is solving the same trivial mysteries that intrigued his childlike imagination. Now suffering from hangovers and hang-ups and struggling to bridge the gap into adulthood, he finds himself with a case that will make or break his leap from child prodigy to defeated adult. Tackling the question: ‘what waits for those who peak too soon into their lives?’ The Kid Detective and Director, Evan Morgan collect stereotypes and tropes of early morning children’s programming and spin them into darker realities and harsher narrative stylings.
Pangs of Barfly linger in the opening moments, the life Applebaum now leads a starkly different, less gratifying life to that of his prime-time work as a children’s detective. He is plagued with the problems of missing friends and dealing with responsibilities far beyond his reach. It seems the plunge into the bottom of the bottle was inevitable for the child detective. His guilty conscience is often mused on and Brody presents the end result, where decades of unfruitful findings have left not just him with abandoned hopes and dreams, but the town of Willowbrook also. Morgan’s direction in particular offers the sleazy notions of big Hollywood tropes: the whiskey-drinking, tough as old boots detective paired with lighter, odder tones of comedy and wordplay.
The mixture is a good one, and rather refreshing too. Applebaum lives in fear, his own echo chamber constructed to make himself sound like the greatest detective to have ever lived. He clings to past glory, the work he presented the community as a child now unimportant to everyone around him. Sophie Nélisse breaks free from her action and horror days to give a strong performance alongside Brody, the intricacies of the mystery at handwoven by this pairing rather well. His condescending tones paired with her grief make for a strong leading duo, one that relies on decent wordplay and well-rounded humour. An adult who never grew up tries to solve a case and, inevitably, finds himself in over his head.
While it is fun at times, The Kid Detective muses more on the idea of star power and why so few child actors manage to hit it big. Adam Brody is the clear catalyst for this and commands the screen well with his tired, prodding tones. He is envious of those around him, jealous of those who grew up beyond their childhood calling, yet he stumbles his way through this conundrum with exceptionally well-rounded crime comedy tones. Morgan and company have not only crafted a decent mystery but have also presented a shake-up of a genre in a catatonic state. Interesting, engaging, and a good bit of fun. Brody brings out the best in himself and those around him, something Applebaum simply cannot, as he clamours for his past glory, he slips away and down into the dark recesses that real crime offers.