DISTURBIA (2007)BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: Even on this quiet tree-lined street, no one is safe... especially from the savage killer next door. Living under three months' house arrest, Kale Brecht (Shia Labeouf, Transformers) passes his days spying on the neighbours. It's all fun and games until things take a horrifying turn for the worse. Kale is convinced his neighbour next door is a serial killer - but he can't prove anything, can't convince anyone and can't leave his house without triggering an alarm. Enlisting the help of his friends, Kale is determined to expose the truth - but have they all taken on more than they bargained for with a cold-blooded murderer on the loose? With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Kale and his friends are in a race for their lives in this electrifying thriller that will kepp you on the edge of your seat.
FILM REVIEW: This film is by and large the teenage version of "Rear Window" with a little bit of "The Burbs" thrown in. Although the influences and similarities are there, "Disturbia" is still an effective and fun thriller of a teenage boy who is under house arrest after assaulting his Spanish teacher and has nothing to do for three months than to spy on his neighbours. The youthful approach to the material is really what makes this fresh, with director DJ Caruso utilising this to full effect by having our hero and his friend spying on the hot girl next door who eventually gets involved in their spying activities. It all goes south when they discover that one of their reclusive neighbours could in fact be a serial killer, and much like "The Burbs", this film has a lot of fun of playing the "is he or isn't he?" theme. There are some likeable performances from all the main actors, the action and thrilling scenes are by and large well executed and are never dull despite being filmed mostly in one location, and as such, "Disturbia" is an effective little thriller that at varying times is amusing, dramatic, scary and moving.
"Disturbia" is not really a horror movie, although it does contain some horror elements, particularly towards the end. Those of you who like your blood spilt en masse will likely to be disappointed, but for those of you who enjoy psychological paranoia with a touch of voyeurism, you're likely to enjoy this film quite a lot. Much of what makes this film work is that you're never quite sure if Shia LaBeouf's character Kale Brecht is being over-the-top paranoid or if he's right, because there are lots of moments that provide suspicion but never any concrete proof. David Morse who plays Robert Turner in particular does an effective job of masking his possible culpability, always looking like a nice, if reclusive citizen who wants his privacy respected. Of course, those who enjoy the voyeuristic nature of things will appreciate the first half of the film where Kale is spying on his neighbours. Although it may not be done as masterfully as say a Hitchcock film, it still provides an insight in to that aspect of human behaviour which is within all of us.
The performances in the film are actually quite reasonable for what is in essence a teen flick; they can all be taken a lot more seriously and much of this resides in the lead actor Shia LeBeouf's portrayal of Kale Brecht. He infuses the whole situation with a youthful angst and enthusiasm that ultimately drives the whole plot along. He's a convicted felon within the first few minutes after assaulting his Spanish teacher, but this makes the tension greater as the people around him, save his friends, are less likely to believe his seeming paranoid delusions. His friends Ronnie and Ashley played by Aaron Yoo and Sarah Boemer are also quite effective in their roles, and are quite likeable and never annoying despite their quirks. It's a surprise to see Carrie-Ann Moss play a domesticated mother, especially after her ass-kicking tough girl performances from the Matrix films, but she does it very effectively and believably.
David Morse gives an extremely chilling performance as the bizarre neighbour Robert Turner who the teenagers suspect is a serial killer. Aside from being quietly spoken and articulate, he infuses the character with a real sense of fury bubbling beneath the surface that could explode at any moment. Perhaps the most scary scene in the film is not in the final sequences where he is revealed to be the serial killer and he's chasing Kale and killing people, but the scene where mid-way through the film he stops Ashley in her tracks while she is driving her SUV. He leans in to the car, takes the key out of the ignition, jumps in to the car and locks the doors, proceeding to give her a lecture about how he doesn't like his privacy invaded and that they should keep well enough alone. In these moments, you get the strange and unique impression that he actually wouldn't have killed any one in the neighbourhood, especially his neighbours, if they had left him alone and not pried in to his affairs or history. This makes his killer somewhat unique; as if he would have quietly done what he needed to do in the sanctity of his own dark basement and not bothered those directly near him.
The film is well shot, particularly when you consider that ninety percent of the film takes place entirely in one location. Kudos to the production designer for designing a neighbourhood set that looks very realistic but at the same time is always good to look at, particularly Shia's house which must have been a cinematographer's dream to light, particularly with all the lighting opportunities that the set afforded the production. The colours in the picture look marvellous as well, even in the darker, more horror-style scenes at the end where a more chilling atmosphere is imposed as opposed to the warmer, brighter ambience established earlier in the film.
"Disturbia" is a fun, entertaining little thriller that is cut above most in its genre.
TECHNICAL REVIEW: The transfer of the film is first rate - the pictures are crisp, clean and colourful with the audio soundtrack also top notch, particularly in the more thrilling scenes which make full use of the surround sound channels. Listen out for Kale's mother's muffled screams emanating from the rear speakers while Kale is looking for her; it's very effective. Overall, an excellent transfer.
EXTRAS REVIEW: There are a nice complement of extras on this disc, if nothing special. The main extra is a 14-minute making-of featurette that goes a little bit beyond your standard promotional fluff but ultimately that's all it really is, although there are some tidbits such as the director's first conversation with Steven Spielberg who offerred him the job, Shia's approach to what he was doing and David Morse's method acting approach of being cold to Shia LaBeouf to stay in character. There are four deleted scenes that aren't particularly special, a little over a minute of outtakes which are funny but ultimately not long enough, a trailer, and a fairly enthusiastic and informative audio commentary from director DJ Caruso, Shia LaBeouf and Sarah Roemer. It's a good collection.
BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.
FILM RATING: 7.5/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 7.5/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 7.5/10
(Read Less...)Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net
