Though many may not be overly familiar with director D.J. Caruso previous work (The Salton Sea, Taking Lives), his first introduction to a more mainstream audience is overall an enjoyable hour and forty minutes. Young in age, but not in movie credits, actor Shia LaBeouf enthralls once again as the boy next door, who literally can’t be anything else. A troubled teen after the death of his father, Shia’s character (Kale) ends up under house arrest with an ankle monitor. Add in a montage of video games and lousy television and Kale winds up finding the best way to pass the time is to watch the lives of his neighbors. All in good time he’s got the neighborhood schedule down to the second. Until the boy next door sees the girl next door. Sparks ensue despite the “could be” creepy peeping tom aspect of the relationship, and neighbor Ashley (played by Sarah Roemer) as the two flirt between bushes and across Kale’s no-cross line in the yard. The two become co-conspirators as Ashley soon joins Kale as a fellow neighborhood spy. Not to be forgotten is sidekick and pal to the delinquent Kale, is Aaron Yoo who plays the, yep you got it, wisecracking friend Ronnie. Somewhere along the line Kale begins to believe one of his suburban neighbors is in fact a serial killer. The question of is he or isn’t he a murder becomes the major driving force through the rest of the movie. The suspect neighbor is played sinisterly by David Morse, who leaves the audience wondering if he’s really a murderer or just a despicable guy. Rounding out the cast is Carrie-Anne Moss, who is severely under-represented as the mother of Kale. The tagline of this film, “Every killer lives next door to someone,” is the perfect one-liner to describe this movie. Though a contemporary take on Hitchcock’s Rear Window this is a modern retelling of the tale in a hip way that makes the thriller enjoyable beyond the teenage set. Don’t take this film too seriously; just enjoy it as an entertaining romp with a few thrills and chills along the way. **** out of *****
This film is rated PG-13 for slight sensuality, moments of terror and violence.
Some other suggestion for those who enjoyed this film:
Starring Shia LaBeouf: Transformers, Constantine, Holes
Starring Carrie-Anne Moss: Memento, The Matrix
Directed by D.J. Caruso: The Salton Sea
Other Thrillers: Rear Window, Blink, Scream
Source: www.imdb.com
