Thriller Plus Teenage Angst

Rating: 6/10 (13 September 2007)

The prologue scene before the opening credits really gave me quite a jolt! Turns out that that smashing scene sort of just sets up the personality of the lead character Kale played by Shia LaBeouf.
He socks his Spanish teacher one day and gets put under house arrest. I am the type who might even enjoy this type of confinement. But apparently Kale most definitely isn't. He gets very restless on the very first day since his X-Box and Online activities were curtailed. In addition, he gets sassy with his mom, who gets even by cutting off the plug of his TV. Bereft of things to do, he starts looking out his windows, into the lives of his next-door neighbors. He gets very excited with pretty and tone Ashley, who just so happened to just move in with her family. However, the suspense comes in when he notices very strange goings-on with his other neighbor Mr. Turner. Is he involved with a series of missing women?
As far as the actors, I see Shia as a young John Cusack, with a sad-sack charm about him. I just have to say that this guy is lucky to be able to romance gorgeous Megan Fox in "Transformers", and now the beautiful and sexy Sarah Roemer in this movie. I just felt his room was too over-the-top messy. I couldn't be THAT bad! I totally failed to recognize Carrie Anne Moss as Kale's mom! David Morse, on the other hand, is really getting the hang of playing these creepy characters. I certainly have seen him in other movies with characters like Mr. Turner. For the Asian best friend Ronnie, he just had to totally be geeky. What a stereotype! For his credit, actor Aaron Woo did quite well in this obnoxious role.
This is teen angst meets "Rear Window." There were really scenes that bring you to the edge of your seats. The scene of Mr. Turner and Ashley in the car is classic creepy. Same with the "Blair Witch"-style camera work when Ronnie breaks into Mr. Turner's garage and house. Exciting! The angst scenes however did not really sit well with me. I think they are way overblown.
Just OK with me overall. I would not call it a waste of time. Some tense and exciting suspense scenes that make it worthwhile to catch in theaters.