When Shia LaBeouf Ruled The Teenage World

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2017)

When evaluated as the thriller it is advertised to be, "Disturbia" is slightly above average, providing just enough drama/suspense to keep viewers interested. However, add in the incredible acting of Shia LaBeouf, and the film easily jumps up into the "very solid" category.
For a basic plot summary, "Disturbia" very loosely follows the premise of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window". In this case, young Kale (LaBeouf) is confined to house arrest after slugging a teacher. While homebound, Kale enlists the help of friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) and new-to-town girlfriend Ashley (Sarah Roemer) to spy on the next-door-neighbor Mr. Turner (David Morse), who they believe to be a serial killer.
As I mentioned in the opener, as a "thriller" alone this movie is passable. If you are a veteran of the genre you'll likely know what is coming a mile away, but it's watchable. Some may deride the effort as a "Hitchcock rip-off", but it should instead be viewed as a "Hitchcock re-interpretation" for the younger generation (the ones who have no interest in watching Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly).
The hallmark of the experience, though, is easily the acting of LaBeouf, who (as he so often did during that time period) represents the typical American teenage boy. He struggles with the utter boredom of house arrest, spies on the bikini-clad teenage girl across the yard (and then befriends her in his awkward way), and lets himself get completely swept up in a fantastical plot involving Mr. Turner. These are all things that teenagers can relate to (or even older folks can remember relating to!) and make the movie much more personal to the viewer.
To me, "Disturbia" will always represent the peak of LaBeouf's teen flicks (right along with "Holes" & "Transformers"). Every time I watch this movie, I actually find myself enjoying the setup (first 2/3) more than the resolution (1/3), and his interactions with all the characters is the primary reason for that. I can't say it's an all-time classic, but it represents a certain time of life for me that has become cemented by the sands of time. That's why I can always still enjoy this one.