Movie Review: Disturbia (2007)

Genre: Thriller  

Director: D.J. Caruso  

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Viola Davis  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: Depressed after losing his father in a car accident, teenager Kale (Shia LaBeouf) strikes his Spanish teacher and earns a sentence of house arrest for three months. With little to keep him occupied, Kale clashes with his mother Julie (Carrie-Anne Moss), but eventually settles down to a routine of spying on the neighbours. Newly arrived girl-next-door Ashley (Sarah Roemer) catches his eye, but more menacing is neighbour Robert Turner (David Morse), who may or may not be a fugitive serial killer.

What Works Well: This reimagining of Hitchcock's Rear Window is formulated for a younger audience, and enjoys a likeable cast led by Shia LaBeouf (understandably glum but sensitive), Sarah Roemer (every teenage boy's dream sexy-and-smart girl-next-door), and Aaron Yoo (as Kale's best friend Ronnie). As they get into deeper trouble snooping on the neighbourhood, co-writers Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth sneak in snide commentary about the suburbs as a place where secrets (whether bland or malevolent) hide behind every hedge.

What Does Not Work As Well: Director D.J. Caruso never quite gets the tone right. For too long the plot embraces the light-hearted humorous adventures of a troubled young man and the beginnings of puppy love, but the third act suddenly descends into all-out horror territory. Not enough time is spent with the antagonist, who remains a shell of boogeyman, robbing the climax of impact. 

Conclusion: The curtains and shades are there for a reason.

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