Disturbia

Rating: 6/10 (25 January 2008)

I had heard about this film, and that it was a reincarnation of the Rear Window format for the teenage generation, and I knew I had to see it. Basically Kale Brecht (Transformers' Shia LaBeouf) lost his father Daniel (Matt Craven) in a car crash, and one year he is trouble maker, and when his Spanish teacher talks badly about his Dad, Kale punches him. As punishment he is put under house arrest, and during his vacation time, he is tagged by the police with a water and damage (alarm will go if he attempts to break it) proof system, he has to stay in set perimeters, or else. With not much to do, because his iPod and television are pretty much out of access because of his Mum, Julie (The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss), and not able to go outside, he can only chat to his friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo). Then though he occupies himself by spying on his neighbourhood of Disturbia (a play on the word "suburbia", and translated from Russian is "paranoia"). First he is infatuated by new neighbour and soon to be love interest Ashley Carlson (a fit Sarah Roemer), but then it moves to very suspicious neighbour Robert Turner (David Morse). Kale has heard a lot of news about murders of girls, and he is convinced that Turner is the man responsible, and as more evidence comes about that makes his suspicions more believable, he is determined to reveal the truth, even with his house arrest stopping him. Also starring Jose Pablo Cantillo as Officer Gutierrez and Viola Davis as Detective Parker. It is a good mix of a good teen movie, and a pretty gripping thriller, in fact, just as much as Rear Window, you don't know if Kale's suspicions are right or wrong at times, till of course you see the blood and bodies pop up, and both the villain and hero get what they deserve. Good!