The Neighbor

This is my first movie review on iTunes. I enjoyed this movie so much I thought it deserved more than one review on here. I couldn’t tell much from the reviews when I rented it. My husband and I were mostly curious about seeing Bill Engle in anything but a clean comedy role. This movie had me on the edge of my seat! It gets started at a gradual pace and then, after building up the characters, it is non-stop action for the whole second half. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really well done. Much more suspensful than gory. Reminded me a little bit of "Don't Breathe." Well acted, very intense. Big thumbs up!

An air of independent filmmaking permeates "The Neighbor" with its sleek camera moves and creative lighting and editing. The opening credit sequence with its pounding soundtrack sets the proper tone and foretells the anxiety that is to come. The whole film is an 'artsy' hommage to typical drive-in fare from the 1970's. The performance of Josh Stewart as the lead character is subtle and feels real. He brings intensity to the role with nary a false note. The screenplay is rather simple, but the suspense is palpable. The set pieces walk a tightrope between chill-inducing thriller and horror film torture porn. Wisely the director sticks to the thriller side of the tightrope, yet displays quite a bit of violence near the climax, but nothing too graphic. (Sorry gorehounds!) The film is loaded with degenerate redneck types and seedy lowlifes. Some sequences characters make choices and decisions that will have you telling at the screen NO! That's part of the tension-filled fun. But no worries...everyone gets their due at the end.