Review of The Girl Next Door (2004) by Dom W — 04 Jun 2011

I am in no way a huge fan of American High school films (apart from Grease) American Pie was only just bearable for me. To be absolutely fair, The Girl Next Door - considering it's subject matter, is a rare gem which surprises you often when you are least expecting it.

They certainly tried to jam pack as many thrills as they could to keep the horny little teenager entertained. But underneath all the gloss, the boobs and the sexual innuendo's is a film that has alot of heart. The feeling of young boy in love for the first time infatuated with a gorgeous girl is captured so well. Cuthbert is fantastic as the girl next door; cheeky, sweet and playful - and there are some minor characters that deserve a mention. Eli is hilarious as well as Cuthbert's ex boyfriend/porn making producer, who seems to have the odd almost Jim Carrey - like moments.

The film is very tight, funny and warm. Another aspect to mention is the very smartly written musical score, in which cannot go unmentioned but yet is so subtle I doubt many critics would have picked up on. It's a good soundtrack, but the scenes were the soft humming synthesizers breath through create fantastic atmosphere and charm and give the film a unique feel.

Ultimately a delightful and very underrated film, which would appeal to some much more than others because of the subject matter.