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Review #445 of 365
Movie Review of Disturbia (2007) [PG-13] 94 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $12.50
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 14 April 2007
Time: 5:25 p.m.
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: D.J. Caruso (Two for the Money)
Screenplay by: Christopher B. Landon (Another Day in Paradise) and Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Shia LaBeouf (Bobby) • Sarah Roemer (The Grudge 2) • Carrie-Anne Moss (The Chumscrubber ) • David Morse (16 Blocks) • Aaron Yoo ("The Bedford Diaries")
Soundtrack: Download now from 
— or — order the CD below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
In this new take on Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, a suburban teen ridden with guilt over his father's death takes out his teen angst by going gonzo on his Spanish teacher landing him in 3 months of in-home incarceration. What could be a worse or better punishment for a high school kid during the summer months? At first, Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is happy as a clam living the life of a suburban king with his X-Box™, his pay-per-view, and his Twinkie® sculptures. When mom, Julie (Carrie-Anne Moss), cuts off his fun and informs him none too politely that this is not a vacation this is a punishment, he has to take other forms of action. Serendipitously, Ashley (Sarah Roemer) moves in next door and his binoculars into the lives of his neighbors becomes his new passion. Best friend, Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) drops by to get in on the action, the favorite of which is, of course, watching Ashley and friends take long dips in her pool.
"…horrifying bedlam and heart-pounding lunacy…not on the same plateau with Rear Window…still quite good "
The boys don't realize, however, that she is on to their peeping, and drops by to join in on the stakeouts. A close second to watching Ashley has become the disturbingly similar resemblance of the neighbor Mr. Turner (David Morse) and his car to those reported in the news as being of a mysterious serial killer. The film's tagline suggests that "Every killer lives next door to someone". In true Rear Window fashion stepped up to the modern times, the kids stakeout Mr. Turner's house and sure enough see what they want to see—suspicious activity. Things get very harrowing when Kale, confined to 100 feet from his kitchen by his ankle bracelet, sends Ronnie with a remote video camera into Mr. Turner's house for evidence of his nefarious activities. What follows is horrifying bedlam and heart-pounding lunacy until the dramatic climactic and inevitable confrontation between Turner and Kale. The is he or isn't he a brutal serial killer question is answered in a shocking yet not entirely unpredictable fashion.
Carrie Anne Moss Buy From Art.com
While derivative and recycled the seemingly unintentional homage to Rear Window and other films of teen terror with a bit of romance thrown in—will Kale and Ashley become something more than just fellow sleuths?—it's hard to deny the guilty pleasures due to the disturbing events of the film. The film does rely on constant tension between the kids' suspicions and the fact they could be very wrong. This creates fear and thrill in the true sense lately nearly ignored in thrillers or scary films. Writers Chris Landon and Carl Ellsworth took things further by developing the characters of the kids a bit further than would have been required. This makes them more interesting and their actions more understandable. Less is true for the adults in the film, who, of course, are typically cartoonish and unable to believe that kids might actually be on to something. The coincidence of the beat cop assigned to Kale's neighborhood who happens to be the cousin of Kale's Spanish teacher, for example, was also a bit far-fetched. Carrie-Anne Moss seemed particularly not well used. Here's an actress with the physical look and abilities to carry the Matrix films as a virtual super hero turned into wall paper. On the contrary, David Morse's performance was money. Growing up adoring his inspirational character on "St. Elsewhere" as Dr. Jack 'Boomer' Morrison, it's always difficult to see him portraying a potential villain. That's probably what makes him so much more wickedly perfect. Director D.J. Caruso's limited résumé in the category of directing film did not seem to impede the success of Disturbia. He demonstrated respect for his subject, the characters, their depth, and the tension of the events as they unfolded. There were some very smart and responsible touches too, that treated the characters with dignity that sometimes gets sacrificed for the purpose of the saving time or ensuring horrific effects. While certainly the film is not on the same plateau with Rear Window (the original version), it was still quite good.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Disturbia (2007)
Cast Members
Shia LaBeouf
• Sarah Roemer • Carrie-Anne MossDavid Morse
• Aaron YooDirector
D.J. Caruso
Screenwriters
Christopher Landon
• Carl Ellsworth| Soundtrack | DVD | VHS |
Disturbia (2007) Review-lite [150-word cap]
In this new take on Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, a suburban teen (Shia LaBeouf) ridden with guilt over his father's death takes out his teen angst by going gonzo on his Spanish teacher landing him in 3 months of in-home incarceration. While derivative and recycled the seemingly unintentional homage to Rear Window and other films of teen terror with a bit of romance thrown in, it's hard to deny the guilty pleasures due to the disturbing events of the film. The film relies on constant tension between the kid's suspicions of his scrutinized neighbor Mr. Turner (David Morse) and the fact he could be very wrong. This creates fear and thrill in the true sense lately nearly ignored in thrillers or scary films. While certainly the film is not on the same plateau with Rear Window (the original version), it was still quite good.
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