Creating a Disturbia that Brings More than One Emotion

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2008)

When first catching the trailer of this film, I was not expecting much but a thrilling stakeout. To my surprise, watching the movie actually turned out to be the one of the best things I recently spent my money on (of course its a rental). Seeing that it was Shia LaBeouf, I didn't set my hopes to high, because whenever I see him I get flash backs of his character Louis on the previous Disney show of "Even Stevens." However, his role as Kale turned out to be a great step away from his childhood role. I would even say that LaBeouf was truly convincing in this role as a teenager torn between losing his father and dealing with the concept of house arrest. Like most thriller movies, this one started with a simple concept, a teenage boy who loses his father and has a hard time coping without him. When he lashes out, Kale (LaBeouf) receives house arrest. After things starts getting boring, he becomes close friends with a pair of binoculars and begins noticing his neighbors around him. The plot thickens when Sarah moves in next door and goofy best pal Ronnie decides to spend some time at Kale's house. All seems normal until strange things begins happening next door. David Morse plays the brilliant Mr. Turner and actually delivers a bone chilling character. At one moment he can be Mr. Roger's brother, but at the next, he reveals the true concept of sinister. The chemistry between Morse and LaBeouf brings out a film that would keep you on your toes while, wanting to see what would happen next. In addition to suspensive moments, this movie also has comedic surprises that stops this film from being boring to downright amusing. The teenage romance is predictable, but what separates this movie from other movies is there is not a huge display of affection. Though this movie may seem predictable, it will actually keep you guessing the whole time. With its concept of comedy, suspense, and of course romance, this film delivers great chemistry and a new sense of "Disturbia."