This is not a “The Kid Detective” review. By all means please do read it here at Bloody Brilliant Reviews! I am here to intensely dwell on some thoughts that kept popping up weeks after watching the movie.
Title: The Kid Detective
Genre: Whodunit/Coming of age
Language: English
Where to Watch: Streaming on Youtube
Not since films like “The Pursuit of Happyness” or “Me Earl and The Dying Girl” have I ever felt this poignant after watching a film.
This is very hard to correlate even. On the face of it, The Kid Detective is a Whodunit from Canada. And it is not a kid’s film as the title might ostentatiously suggest. But, it is still a film about a kid, who’s now grown up to a middle-aged wannabe detective.
(If you are a fan of Whodunits and the likes of Mysteries, do check out: Raat Akeli Hai!)
Trials & Losses - The Kid Detective Plot
A sinister event in his childhood extracts a toll – the disappearance of his friend. This leaves him on a dry patch that ends up consuming him. Years have passed, the world has changed and yet, his friend remains missing. Our protagonist holds “the cup of blame” on himself for being utterly helpless. Ergo, losing his mojo and the expected success as a detective that was his destiny. Only to fall prey to mediocrity and sheer tiredness to get through everyday life.
Growing up is a very tricky concept. And it’s not simply coming out of the teenage period where yo mama and peeps call you rebellious. It’s an ever consuming change of both the internal and environmental.
The Kid detective is probably the best film that embodies coming of age with tailored nuances.
The detective is no swashbuckling sherlock. Nor is he some Nancy drew-ian mock-up. A product of failures is all he is; lost in an era that he hasn’t come to terms with. Inside, he’s still The Kid Detective.
Glaring similarities
It’s surprising how life out of nowhere can swing shit at you. Highs don’t remain highs and successes are often threatened by unforeseen calamities. Either you swing with it or get carried away with the muck. Both of which are still gonna extract an immense toll on you.
While you might necessarily not get to control outcomes, you can predicate your actions on it to a certain extent. You’ll almost have a chance at retribution.
Why you should watch The Kid Detective!
The Kid Detective is a tale about the lowest of lows. It is also a tale about coming out of pits of despair. All the while not pandering to dramatic overtures.
Our protagonist’s chance at retribution comes from being asked by a girl to investigate the murder of her high school boyfriend. Following this, they tread a path towards uncanny discoveries that ties up loose ends from the past.
The closure is why this film is so good. Not just closure to the impending whodunit of the boyfriend’s death, but a full circle to the emptiness our detective has been wallowing in.
It is in awe I watched this film as it dealt sombre moments whilst still sneaking humour aplenty.
The ending hits you hard as all the elements come along tears gushing. There is something in for everyone, for we all have lost something, and we all have come out of something bad. If you are going through hell, hold on… you’ll find your sunshine. Don’t give up, the night is darkest before dawn.