Disturbia (2007)

Directed by: DJ Caruso | 101 minutes | thriller | Actors: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Aaron Yoo, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kurt David Anderson, Matt Craven, Dominic Daniel, Angela Storm, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Charles Carroll, Cathy Immordino, Elyse Mirto, Luciano Rauso, Tim Rifai , Kent Shocknek, Amanda Walsh

‘Disturbia’ is a pun on “suburbia”, or life in the suburbs. The title implies that it may not be as idyllic here as one often thinks. That there is something disturbing (“disturbing”) beneath the surface. This hypothetical view is anything but new in cinema, yet it took screenwriter Christopher Landon a visit to his sister – who lives in such a suburb – to arrive at this concept. One evening, as he drove away from his sister, the idea came to him, he says in the press material: the story about a boy who is trapped in his house and begins to observe bizarre things in the neighborhood.

The uneasy, “creepy” feeling that the ideal and beautiful-looking suburbs can give one has played a central role in films before, especially David Lynch’s. His ‘Blue Velvet’ is the ultimate example of a film about the grim, violent and perverted world that can be hidden under the cheerful glaze of the suburbs. But the slightly mocking character of ‘Disturbia’ with regard to the typical local residents, and later the serious suspicions towards Kale’s immediate neighbor, are mainly reminiscent of the black comedy ‘The ‘Burbs’, by ‘Gremlins’ – director Joe Dante. Also in that film, a teenager (Corey Haim) and his friends turn it into an attraction to watch his wacky neighbors busy… who in turn spy on the new neighbors of the Klopeks, as they suspect them of unethical practices. A double layer of voyeurism, then. It is this aspect – the voyeurism – coupled with the restrictive physical situation of the protagonist – he cannot leave his home – that is reason for some critics to dismiss ‘Disturbia’ as simply a copy of Hitchcock’s classic ‘Rear Window’. However, this is not right. Not only does the film have a lot in common with the aforementioned “suburban paranoia” films, ‘Disturbia’ also contains elements of productions such as ‘Arlington Road’ (including in the interaction with the neighbor outside his house) and especially the sexy Elisha Cuthbert- vehicle ‘The Girl Next Door’. Add to this a post-911 paranoia sauce and a modern way of spying – with digital cameras, mobile phones, and TFT monitors – and you can still speak of a film with its own character, despite the mishmash of familiar aspects.

Although ‘Disturbia’ is predictable in its main plot points, which does take some of the tension off the film, there’s enough enjoyable in it to make this not a big problem. It’s in the details, like the Beethoven ringtone from girl next door Ashley (Sarah Roemer) used as a dramatic music cue. Or how Kale blasts a gooey ballad from his bedroom window to thwart the neighbor’s party. It’s also nice to see how creative the makers deal with Kale’s ankle ligament limitation. Kale can’t get more than ten meters from his house before his anklet starts beeping and the officers are alerted. To see how far he can go, he sets off the boundaries of the area with rope. This rope is not only useful for keeping Kale from making mistakes. Similarly, it is also used by Ashley for romantic teasing, and during a chase scene the original function of the deposition for Kale is reversed: it is now not a matter of staying within the ropes, but rather getting out of it, since it is now the intention. is that the cops show up.

Also, Kale doesn’t just start spying on his neighbors. Only when his Xbox Live, iTunes, and television are shut down by his mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) does he take a look at the typical behaviors of his neighbors. Purely to find a new form of entertainment. As a result, he encounters his mysterious neighbor and his brand new girl next door. The romantic subplot with the sexy girl next door is a welcome addition to the conventional plot of the suspicious spy. It becomes less of a typical genre film and brings some heart and charm to the film. Fortunately, both characters in this romance are portrayed fairly intelligently. Ashley initially seems to be just an empty head with a beautiful appearance, but fortunately turns out to have some brain cells. She also has her own problems that gradually surface. Sarah Roemer, who initially also has appearances against appearances in terms of acting (but later comes into its own), therefore does not merely serve as an image filler (a quality that many adolescents would nevertheless use enough to buy a cinema ticket). Shia LaBeouf as Kale is also a pleasant main character. He is likeable and street-wise, but not overly smart or “cool”. He’s just a modern teenager, with normal desires and insecurities. The clumsy scene, where he, along with his buddy Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), tries to get some posture when Ashley suddenly shows up at the door is simply adorable. The beauty of the neighbours, who until then had only observed the boys from a distance during her laps in the pool or stretching sessions in her bedroom, now suddenly comes intimidatingly close. What now? Can Kale just watch or take action too?

This question also pertains to Kale’s spying on his neighbor, whom he suspects of murder. Before long, Kale joins Ronnie and Ashley to investigate. “This feels wrong,” Ashley says, as they unwittingly observe the neighbor seducing a woman, adding an ethical footnote to such an invasion of one’s privacy. Later, neighbor David Morse also does his bit by claiming that these young people have gone crazy because the world has been in a heightened state of paranoia since September 11, 2001. They are additions that may not have much influence on the plot, but still provide just that little bit more maturity than is usual in such films.

‘Disturbia’ is light-hearted entertainment, where the power is in the small things and not in the tension originating from the central plot line. Director Caruso manages to integrate the old fact of the (possibly) paranoid voyeur nicely into the modern day, and the nice actors and nice finds ensure that the viewer never gets bored.