Nothing original, but a solid, efficient thriller with a few authentic shocks

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2007)

"Disturbia", a contemporary reworking of "Rear Window", is nothing original or unpredictable, but it is well written, skilfully directed, and intelligently cast. Kale (Shia LeBeouf) has been electronically confined to his home for the holidays after punching out his teacher. Bored and listless, he begins spying on Ashley (Sara Roemer), the hottie next door, and Mr. Turner (David Morse), the killer next door. When Turner realizes that Kale is on to him, he acts to prevent the boy from exposing his murderous ways to the police. As usual, Morse is creepy and convincing. Le Beouf makes his character real and, to his credit, doesn't come across as too obnoxious or smug. Roemer is a tasty teenage treat and adds plenty of PG-13 spice to the proceedings. Director DJ Caruso does a good job of keeping the action sequences clear and clutter-free. For a PG-13 film, it is quite brutal, but there is no lingering gore. The score by Geoff Zanelli is really very effective and adds an uneasy mood and tone. You won't find anything groundbreaking here, but there are a few nice surprises and one or two authentic shocks.