Review of Disturbia (2007) by Catlin H — 07 Feb 2013

Directed by D.J. Caruso (The Salton Sea (2002), Two For The Money (2005) and Eagle Eye (2008)) and written by Christopher Landon (Another Day in Paradise (1998) and Blood and Chocolate (2007)), this is an unofficial remake of Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), but this one uses all the mod cons of the 21st Century.

Even though it owes more than a debt of gratitude to Hitchcock, it's quite entertaining. This tale has troubled teen Kale (Shia LaBeouf), who is under house-arrest for the summer for assaulting his Spanish teacher Senor Gutierrez (Rene Rivera).

Unable to leave the house and with the TV and internet confiscated by his mother Julie (Carrie-Anne Moss), Kale begins observing the neighbourhood around him, and he becomes fascinated by the daily routines of his neighbours.

Then Kale starts to suspect that his neighbour, Robert Turner (David Morse), believing he might be a serial killer, and with help from his friends Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), then they get evidence that proves it.

This is quite a surprising good and quite suspensful thriller, which has some genuine scares and even good performances for a film of it's kind, even if it is a carbon copy of Rear Window, director Caruso and LaBeouf then reteamed for another Hitchcock homage with Eagle Eye.