HORROR MOVIE REVIEW: THE GOOD NEIGHBOR



It’s day four of my HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE where I have to see a horror movie a day during the month of October and write a short review for each one.
Today’s movie is THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring James Caan (you may remember him in MISERY based on Stephen King’s novel). 
When two teenagers decide to trick the creepy, next door neighbour (Caan) that he has a ghost in his house and put it all on film along the way, they realise they got more than they bargained for, when discovering the man could actually be a real psycho. A cross between DISTURBIA and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, this movie is surprisingly unpredictable. 
Using our expectations as audience, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR turns the narrative on its head, leading us towards an unexpected and shocking resolution.
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR is full of tension because it is hard to figure out what is really going on and the result is heartbreakingly satisfying. Not everyone will like the ending, and some may feel cheated of the promised horror, but I found the ending horrifying enough. What is more important, it really touched me. Not often a genre film manages to achieve that.
It is interesting how we could have easily guessed what was really going on in the house, but all we want to know what the guy is hiding in the basement?
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR is a must watch for any cinema lover, because of its unusual genre blending, its thought provoking ideas and reflection on modern media where antiheroes rise on the shoulders of the good men.
Highly recommended.



Score out of 5:
SCARE SCORE: 👻👻👻
GORE SCORE: 🗡🗡🗡🗡
FUN SCORE: 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more