"Rear Window" it isn't, but still OK

Rating: 7/10 (4 September 2007)

By reading the DVD case, I derived that "Disturbia" was basically the same thing as Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window": a confined person suspects that a neighbor may be a killer ("The Simpsons" even had an episode like that many years ago). Watching it, I saw that it is basically the same concept - a ripoff, I guess - but with some modern conveniences thrown in.
The plot goes like this: young Kale Brecht (Shia LeBoeuf) and his father are out fishing, when the father gets killed in a car wreck. A year later, Kale is still distraught over the incident. When a Spanish teacher badmouths him in front of the whole class, Kale punches the guy, resulting in three months house arrest. With nothing to do, Kale begins spying on the neighbors, in particular on hot girl Ashley (Sarah Roemer) who just moved in next door. But through this, he starts to suspect this another neighbor (David Morse) may be up to something.
This isn't really intended as a horror movie; more of a suspense thriller. The absence of gore makes it slightly more interesting than the average entry in this genre. The main strength is how they set it up so that you're not sure which character really is doing what, and each character gets to make his/her point about things. No, this movie's not a masterpiece by any stretch; it doesn't even begin to reach "Rear Window" in terms of quality. But if you're looking for a better-than-usual suspense thriller, this is one that I would recommend. Also starring Carrie-Anne Moss (of "The Matrix") and Aaron Yoo.