A pair of mischievous high school kids create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. While keeping his every reaction under surveillance, they see much more than they bargained for.
----------------------------
The Good Neighbor was a total surprise for me. I didn't see the trailer for the film (which was a good thing) so my only ideas of what the film was about came from the brief description. I didn't expect it to be much more than a cheap, low-budget found footage film. The film totally exceeded my expectations. The movie has a slow and deliberate pacing that really allows for the stories twists and turns to get under your skin. In fact, I thought I had the film figured out at one point, but I wasn't even close.
All of the actors pull off excellent performances that are all chilling in their own right. The two high school kids come off very realistically and the film is careful not to paint them as too sinister or too innocent. James Caan delivers an excellent performance with minimal lines (the markings of a truly wonderful actor although we already knew that, didn't we?).
The first time I watched this film, it was late at night and I fell asleep. I didn't fall asleep because I was bored, but because I was tired. The next day, I re-wound the film to a point I remembered and watched it from there. I found it much more gripping when I was wide awake. If you're even a bit distracted, or tired, the film might come across as a real drag. If you're in to deliberately slow paced, but twisted psychological thrillers, this film is for you.
The ending left me sad and angry. At first I thought the ending might have been the only portion of the film that was written poorly, but after thinking about it more, the ending was actually very true to life and that is what makes it so heartbreaking.
This is not a feel good movie, but it is a film that thriller fans will not forget anytime soon.
3/5 Stars
Comments
Post a Comment