Spring is normally the worst time of the year for movies, a time when studios roll out all the garbage they have been accumulating for the past year in preparation for their summer blockbusters. But sometimes in the midst of all the dreck, gems emerge – such is the case with Disturbia, a well-paced thriller with excellent turns from leads Shia LaBeouf (Bobby) and David Morse (Hounddog).
While many will dismiss this film as nothing more than a blatant rip-off of the Jimmy Stewart-led Hitchcock classic, Rear Window, Disturbia does well with the subject matter, and its strong acting elevates what could have been nothing more than a lame remake.
Disturbia starts with Kale (LaBeouf) fishing with his father, the typical all-American, father-son bonding experience. But of course, this goes horribly wrong on the way home as his father dies in a horrific traffic accident.
Cut to a year later: The brooding Kale is still obviously upset about what happened and punches one of his teachers after the teacher makes an offhand remark about Kale disappointing his father. This brings on a court-ordered house arrest, forcing Kale to stay within 100 feet of a transponder in his home.
Stuck at home with nothing to keep his mind occupied, Kale begins to use the neighborhood as his own version of reality television, spying on his neighbors with binoculars in the company of his best friend, Ronnie (relative newcomer Aaron Yoo), who provides much of the comedy throughout the film.
This spying provides two things: the audience’s first glimpse at the babe next door, Ashley (Sarah Roemer, The Grudge 2), and the entire plot of the film, which centers around a crazy neighbor who just might be hiding a lot more than a vintage Ford Mustang in his garage.
David Morse’s performance as Mr. Turner, the suspected mass murderer next door, nears perfection. Even when he isn’t speaking, his icy stares and facial expressions bring Turner from a caricature of a killer to a full-blown human being, one that seems menacing but also just might be misunderstood. Morse’s ability to straddle the line between psychotic killer and kind-hearted neighbor heightens the tension of Disturbia every time he’s onscreen.
And LaBeouf provides the yin to Turner’s yang, as Disturbia primarily revolves around the battle of wits between the two. LaBeouf has come a long way from his days as Louis Stevens of Even Stevens, and he has slowly worked his way into more serious leading roles. He shows off his chops during this film, portraying Kale as a multifaceted teenager and not just an angst-filled kid who lost his father. LaBeouf also adapts his character to varying scenes: He is standoffish when confronting Turner, but typically angsty when his mother (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix) shuts off his iTunes and Xbox Live accounts.
Yet while LaBeouf, Morse and Moss occupy the film’s major roles, Roemer and Yoo provide a lot of the necessary diversion from the main plot of Disturbia. Yoo especially provides some hysterical moments, including one cruel joke on Kale that will have people half-hysterical from fear and half-hysterical from laughter. The chemistry between Roemer and LaBeouf adds a nice romantic subplot to the mix, even if it is expected.
All in all, Disturbia is well-worth the trip to the movie theater during these decrepit months of cinema. While it’s not in the same league as Rear Window, Disturbia does give us a well-executed outlook on the thrills lurking within suburbia.
Contact reporter Tripp Laino at tripp@umd.edu.
