Disturbia (C or 2/4 stars)
A 17 yr. old teen, Kale Brecht (Shia LaBeouf), is living under house arrest when he becomes entranced by a cute new neighbor, but more importantly, is convinced that his other neighbor, Mr. Turner (David Morse), is a serial killer! As part teen melodrama, part creepy psych thriller, AND part slasher flick ... 'Disturbia', directed by D.J. Caruso, doesn't completely work individually, or cohesively. But you'll be intrigued & surprisingly jolted along the way.
After his dad's unfortunate death (filmed shockingly well), a depressed, indifferent Kale takes out his anger on a schoolteacher and is sentenced (lightly) to 3 months house arrest. His mom (Carrie-Anne Moss) cuts the cord to his bedroom TV and cancels his X-Box online, hoping he'll get out of his troubled funk by, you know, doing some cleaning and reflecting on his recent mistakes. But she can't take away his computer, vid-cam, cell phone, or binoculars. Having nothing better to do, he occupies his long days by spying on his eclectic neighbors. Cabin fever spawns voyeurism. The 1st half of this story centers around him spying on the new-girl-on-the-block, Ashley (Sarah Roemer). Their feelings for each other are mutual, but too much of a chunk of this film revolves around their clunky romance.
Meanwhile, Kale (along with Ashley and his friend, Ronnie) witnesses what appears to be a murder going on at Mr. Turners house. There had been some recent disappearances of red-headed girls in the area and reports of a blue 1960 Mustang (with dented fender) could be the culprit's vehicle. Sure enough, Mr. Turner's car fits the description perfectly. But this doesn't automatically mean he's guilty of anything, as our 3 main characters despairingly find out throughout the movie. Obsessed with uncovering the truth, and because Kale can't leave the perimeter of his yard, he sends Ronnie & Ashley out to follow Turner (with disastrous results). Are Kale's suspicions of Turner correct? How is his mom involved? Kale may be watching the neighborhood, but who's watching him?
There is a lot to like within 'Disturbia'. Early in his young career, I'm already impressed by Shia LaBeouf . I like how he acts, what he says, and how he says it. He makes us feel like, 'Yeah, we're right there with ya, buddy', etc. And David Morse offers his usual casual, quiet sinister demeanor (as a potential villain). In the film, I also like 'how' Kale spies around. He witnesses one neighbor having an affair with his maid. He catches some pubescent kids sneaking a peek at a porn channel when unsuspecting mom is in the next room, etc. Whenever witty humor pops up, it usually works. I like how Kale & company use their technological gadgets to monitor Turner in his nefarious secrecy. This movie nails some things right on the head.
But there are one-too-many bland, predictable moments of teen dramedy. And some awful thriller cliches that take over by the end. i.e., lightning just HAD to crack when Kale is running from a killer in a climactic moment, ugh. 'Disturbia' tries to balance humor, romance & genuine scares and it makes for an ultimately 'weird' film. The thrills kick into gear, but it comes on too late. The film starts with a great deal of flair and interest. But as it goes on, the script stalls, character development wanes, and any energy begins to drain out of the initial story. There are not quite enough bursts of brilliance to dig this out of 2 stars; but nice try.
After his dad's unfortunate death (filmed shockingly well), a depressed, indifferent Kale takes out his anger on a schoolteacher and is sentenced (lightly) to 3 months house arrest. His mom (Carrie-Anne Moss) cuts the cord to his bedroom TV and cancels his X-Box online, hoping he'll get out of his troubled funk by, you know, doing some cleaning and reflecting on his recent mistakes. But she can't take away his computer, vid-cam, cell phone, or binoculars. Having nothing better to do, he occupies his long days by spying on his eclectic neighbors. Cabin fever spawns voyeurism. The 1st half of this story centers around him spying on the new-girl-on-the-block, Ashley (Sarah Roemer). Their feelings for each other are mutual, but too much of a chunk of this film revolves around their clunky romance.
Meanwhile, Kale (along with Ashley and his friend, Ronnie) witnesses what appears to be a murder going on at Mr. Turners house. There had been some recent disappearances of red-headed girls in the area and reports of a blue 1960 Mustang (with dented fender) could be the culprit's vehicle. Sure enough, Mr. Turner's car fits the description perfectly. But this doesn't automatically mean he's guilty of anything, as our 3 main characters despairingly find out throughout the movie. Obsessed with uncovering the truth, and because Kale can't leave the perimeter of his yard, he sends Ronnie & Ashley out to follow Turner (with disastrous results). Are Kale's suspicions of Turner correct? How is his mom involved? Kale may be watching the neighborhood, but who's watching him?
There is a lot to like within 'Disturbia'. Early in his young career, I'm already impressed by Shia LaBeouf . I like how he acts, what he says, and how he says it. He makes us feel like, 'Yeah, we're right there with ya, buddy', etc. And David Morse offers his usual casual, quiet sinister demeanor (as a potential villain). In the film, I also like 'how' Kale spies around. He witnesses one neighbor having an affair with his maid. He catches some pubescent kids sneaking a peek at a porn channel when unsuspecting mom is in the next room, etc. Whenever witty humor pops up, it usually works. I like how Kale & company use their technological gadgets to monitor Turner in his nefarious secrecy. This movie nails some things right on the head.
But there are one-too-many bland, predictable moments of teen dramedy. And some awful thriller cliches that take over by the end. i.e., lightning just HAD to crack when Kale is running from a killer in a climactic moment, ugh. 'Disturbia' tries to balance humor, romance & genuine scares and it makes for an ultimately 'weird' film. The thrills kick into gear, but it comes on too late. The film starts with a great deal of flair and interest. But as it goes on, the script stalls, character development wanes, and any energy begins to drain out of the initial story. There are not quite enough bursts of brilliance to dig this out of 2 stars; but nice try.