Disturbia

A year after the death of his father, smart-ass student Kale (Shia LaBeouf) clouts a teacher and is placed under house arrest. On the bright side, he gets to wear young Hollywood’s hottest accessory – an ankle bracelet with a direct link to the cop shop. As if that’s not enough, he peers out of his suburban window to discover a hot bikini babe (Sarah Roemer) moving in next door. Things would be perfect, if it wasn’t for the potential serial killer up the road.

Disturbia is an effective update of Hitchcock’s Rear Window for the YouTube generation. Is it Kale’s overactive imagination or is there really a murderer in their midst? Sadly, by the time you find out, the blood and guts have arrived to cater for the teen market, but that doesn’t mean the movie is without merit.

The cast wisely choose to play it straight, and LaBeouf especially stands out. The rising star reins in the over-the-top antics to provide a credible performance as a confused teen who simply can’t handle life without his father.

Indeed, the film is well acted, competently directed and has flashes of humour. The tension builds slowly, propelled by some genuine scares along the way, mostly in the shape of David Morse’s nuanced turn as the suspected killer.

Adam Tanswell

Anticipation:

Another step in Shia LaBeouf’s journey towards becoming the new Tom Hanks.

Enjoyment:

Not quite Rear Window, but can certainly hold its own with The ’Burbs.

In Retrospect:

Wasn’t The ’Burbs part of Tom Hanks’ journey towards becoming Jimmy Stewart? Hmm, interesting.