Review of The Good Neighbor (2016) by Christopher E — 03 Oct 2016
Smarter than most, but too convenient to be meaningful.
Two kids create the ingenious idea to see if they can trick a person into believing that they're being haunted. As they enact this six week project, they will record and document their findings, ultimately getting more than they bargained for.
Now I was expecting absolutely nothing from this movie. The trailers looked kind of interesting but the ratings were more than lackluster. The premise was kind of cool and overall, I was pretty neutral about everything. I figured, why not give it a try? Although this movie has some entertainment value, it's probably one of the most convenient movies I've seen in a while.
One thing's for sure, the protagonists follow the typical and steady route of being annoying, sexually dumbfounded, and illogical. These two teenage boys are nothing special in the world of cinema, and the choices they make aren't really applause worthy. The actors behind them were just fine, but when you really look at it, you shake your head. Ethan is your typical horny, drunk, and trouble making kid that you see in most films like this. Sean is the innocent yet brainy part of the operations. These two characters are so boring and unoriginal that it makes it hard to root for them, especially when they're taking on such an obviously illegal act.
The overall story was interesting enough. I liked the idea of the overall plot but it never had a clear direction. There was so much stuff going on and sometimes, it was hard to keep up with. Not because it's smart, but because it's so clustered with random stuff that it makes the direction unclear. I can kind of see where they wanted to go with this film but it was a hit and miss.
One thing I do like is the psychological aspect to this film. Everything that happens to Grainey (James Cann) has this meaningful psychological drain on him, which I thought was a pretty unique twist. However, it was destroyed by the utter convenience of each trigger. Somehow, someway, the boys knew exactly what to mess with and somehow, it always, always affected him mentally. It somehow always reminded him of specific moments with his wife, which was cool, but convenient.
"The Good Neighbor" is nothing special and has some interesting moments, but it never seems to capitalize on them or establish a clear direction.
This review of The Good Neighbor (2016) was written by Christopher E on 03 Oct 2016.
The Good Neighbor has generally received mixed reviews.
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