Review: Disturbia [2007]

NOTE: Back on after a long long long time. Sorry to all the people, however small that number, who read my blog regularly. I'll try my hardest to update as efficiently as I can without delay this time around.

Synopsis: A troubled teenager is put under house arrest after assaulting his teacher and as boredom overtakes him he begins spying on his neighbours and discovers an ugly truth.

Nope. Not seen 'Rear Window'. It's not a crime I know but being a budding filmmaker and not in know of a Hitchcock movie is close to it. So this being touted as a modern rehash of that classic I can't totally confirm it. Though LaBeouf said it wasn't so. Anyways this is about Disturbia so I'll keep it that way.

A dead dad. Troubled son. A out of her wits mother. And an assault on the Spanish teacher which leads to the son's house arrest. Plus incarceration fees of 12$ everyday. Nobody is happy. It's all messed up. Mom cuts off the ITunes and Xbox accounts and yells at her son to clean the room. More mayhem. Mostly mental. And as chronic boredom kicks in our teen stud finds a way to kill it. By spying on the neighbours using house surveillance equipments.

He discovers a slew of secrets that every household holds. Xyz having sex, children watching porn, someone obsessively mowing their lawn and also a very hot neighbourhood girl swimming. All very normal but also can be termed as creepy or inappropriate in most parts of the world. Though our man soon has the girl knocking on his door and inviting herself in. She knows he's spying even when she changes her clothes but she's not angry. Really lucky I guess. With our stud and his Asian friend she forms a partnership of the neighbourhood peeping Tom vigilantes who tries to figure out if someone in their neighbourhood is a serial killer and soon become obsessed with it.

Wait they are into that? So wrong!

As you it's an entertaining take on the world of voyeurism. Humans are curious creatures inherently and with the right equipment and wrong mindset we could keep on ogling all around to find out about our so called good neighbours. Also with the kind of negative world we live in most people's first reaction to a different kind of a person is that he could be murderer. Sweetness is the new creepy. Someone behaving too good with us is the first one in our suspicious book. Paranoia has taken over as we fear the worst. Though 'Disturbia' doesn't go too deep into it considering its more of an entertainer but it does pose serious question about the usage of surveillance items in the wrong hands. Is there anything like privacy anymore? Or is someone always watching over me with his hi tech gadget? Strange world.

It's 2015 and we all know what Shia Labeouf [Kale] has achieved. That was 2007 and he already was a rising star. Only at 20. He gives a rousing performance as the troubled teen who's obsessed with proving that one of his neighbours is a serial killer. To support him is Aroon Yo[Ronnie] his customary funny Asian friend who is totally a gadget wizard. Also the piping hot Sarah Roemer[Ashley] who likes our spying stud and falls in love with him. Her role is just to create tension and romance and except a couple of parts of the story she's not involved much. Same for Carrie Ann Moss[ Julie] though she does good.

But the standing ovation should go to David Morse[Mr Turner]. He is as sweet as he's creepy. I want to keep this spoiler free so won't reveal if he really is the killer but what he does achieve with his body language and use of words coupled with his huge physicality there can be less fearful than him. Labeouf did praise him a lot and after seeing this I totally get why. This is a Labeouf vehicle but David definitely is the steering.

If looks could kill.........

D.J Caruso [ Taking Lives, I am Number Four ] does good work. As does his cinematographer. A fight sequence in the climax stands out. Though at some places in the movie the lighting could have been much better. The movie is a thriller but only in the last 15 minutes and till then it see saws between romance and a drama about voyeurism and some comedy.

HighTension Verdict: I don't know if its a rehash but it definitely is good. A modern take on an old tale is always welcome. It's doesn't go too deep in its subject cos it isn't meant to be so. The pace is good. Good acting. Good direction. And when it turns thriller it does thrill so not much complaints. If you are looking for more meaning less gloss please visit 'Rear Window '. No replacement for Hitchcock even today.

HighTension Meter: 8/10.


Best Quote:

Kale: But think about that, why does he want his privacy? I mean he's hiding something, we know that.

Ashley: Look, Kale, he freaked me out, but he's right. We're the ones spying.

Ronnie: Oh, man, she has that Stockholm thing. You know where the hostage falls for the hostage taker?

Ashley: Where do you get this stuff?

Ronnie: I read a lot?

Kale: Ok, I have a question, how is that a nice and charming guy?

Ashley: I didn't say that.

Kale: Ok, Ash, what you said was that "He broke into my car, but did it in a nice way?". Maybe I'm not understanding.