If anyone understands an existential crisis, it’s millennials. Most of us can’t afford a house, and we’re drowning in student loans. But at least we have our avocado toast (well, you do; personally, I hate avocado). Adam Brody’s 2020 movie “The Kid Detective” gets it.
Brody plays Abe Applebaum, a hard-on-his-luck, washed-up detective prodigy. Like most of us, he’s clinging to the good ol’ days when we felt important and our futures looked bright. Am I being overdramatic? Maybe. But “The Kid Detective” and its dry, satirical spin on the detective genre embody what it’s like to never grow up — just without the fun, Peter Pan magic.
Luckily, the film is now streaming on Netflix. Whether you’re a jaded millennial, stan Adam Brody, or just appreciate a good early-midlife crisis, it’s well worth the watch.
Why 'The Kid Detective' perfectly captures millennial burnout
Adam Brody’s stint on “The O.C.” defined a new generation of the sarcastic, nerdy sidekick trope, paving the way for characters like Stiles Stilinski. That signature sardonic humor follows him into “The Kid Detective,” bringing back those lovable Seth Cohen vibes updated for his post-20s prime.
Even when Brody plays a total trainwreck, his charm wins us over as we root for a guy who once solved the Curious Case of the Missing Brooch on pure vibes alone. (Sorry, Abe, no childhood achievement beats the invention of Chrismukkah, though solving the case of the missing middle school cash jar comes close.
Behind that charm, however, lies the familiar plight of the former Gifted Teen™. Adults doted on young Abe for his keen deduction skills, showering him with awards and a key to the city. But what’s impressive at 12 stops being cute at 30. Abe sets up shop in his hometown, never reaches for the FBI, and dithers away his potential — the predictable outcome when adults fawn over a child's talent without teaching them self-sufficiency.
To make matters worse, his parents still baby his adult mediocrity with empty praise. People love to roast millennials as the participation trophy generation, but we didn’t give them to ourselves. Most of us would have preferred a realistic warning before our first student loan bill hit.
How 'The Kid Detective' subverts classic noir tropes
When high schooler Caroline (Sophie Nélisse) hires Abe to solve her boyfriend’s murder, he leaps at the chance to prove himself. The stakes are much higher than a missing cat, hitting close to home for Abe, who failed years ago to solve a classmate's kidnapping.
Writer and director Evan Morgan focuses sharply on their mentor/mentee dynamic, smartly avoiding the lazy trap of shoehorning in a romance. Abe is the investigative equivalent of a 30-year-old reminiscing about his high school quarterback days, and watching Caroline’s relative maturity forces him to realize he isn't a teenager anymore.
Don’t let the title fool you; “The Kid Detective” is dark and twisted as hell. Rather than a wholesome, Nancy Drew-style comedy, it subverts classic detective expectations with self-aware wit. Where standard genre shows fumble with forced, black-and-white noir homage episodes, this film uses those tropes to poke fun at the genre while staying grounded in reality.
By the time the credits roll, Abe finally grows up, drenched in trauma — only to learn the ultimate millennial lesson: Adulthood kind of sucks.
Stream "The Kid Detective" on Netflix
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