REVIEWS

Disturbia: The First Great Thriller of 2007

by Alex Billington
April 12, 2007

• US Release Date: April 13, 2007
• Genre: Thriller
• MPAA: Rated PG-13 (for sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality)
• Running Time: 104 minutes
• Directed by: D.J. Caruso
• on IMDb
•    8.5/10

I'm not a big horror or thriller fan, but sometimes an incredible film comes along that I really enjoy, and it makes me rethink my opinions of these two genres. I wasn't sure how thrilling Disturbia would be, but I was confident that it would be solid from the trailers alone. Even so, Disturbia surprised and thrilled me beyond expectations and delivered one of my favorite films of 2007 so far. It is the first great thriller of 2007.

In Disturbia, which is clearly inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, Kale (Shia LaBeouf) unexpectedly loses his father in an automobile accident. A year later in his Spanish class, Kale hits his teacher in the face and is sentenced to three months over the summer of house arrest. The typically quirky and outgoing teen must learn to cope with staying on his own property without his Xbox or television - his caring mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) took them away. After overcoming boredom, he begins to scope the neighborhood armed with binoculars and video cameras in his room and the top floor of his house, and while simultaneously checking out his attractive new neighbor Ashley (Sarah Roemer) he also starts to believe one neighbor just might be a serial killer.

Shia LaBeouf and the gorgeous Sarah Roemer as they investigate the house next door in Disturbia.

The strength of Disturbia is its down-to-earth humor and well-conveyed atmosphere of his constrained life that builds up to the thrills. Most of the film builds up the quirky meanderings of a kid stuck in his home for an entire summer and isn't spent thrilling you every other moment. It's Shia LaBeouf that plays the role of Kale so well that you can almost feel the same as him, laughing louder and smiling more when he gets caught staring at Ashley or as he devises crazy schemes to pass the time and hit on her. Even the story itself, the lead up to the reveal and the progression of the characters is stronger than every other mundane and typical thriller. And when it finally gets to it, the film gears up into a full on thriller and still delivers.

Among the great cast, Aaron Yoo stands out as Kale's wacky friend Ronnie who often joins him at his house and assists in the pursuit of love and entertainment. His comedy is so natural in all of the scenes and he hits hard with the biggest laughs. Ronnie is the best friend that every kid has had. There's also the incredibly attractive Sarah Roemer who stands out strongly enough to make me want to go back and watch it again and again just for her deceptive teases. The supporting adults, Carrie-Anne Moss and David Morse, also deliver well. David Morse is an experienced actor, but I just wasn't wholly convinced at his character's nature, which will only get revealed when you see it.

Shia LaBeouf and his hilarious friend played by Aaron Yoo in Disturbia.

Last Word:
Our other writer Jaq described a thriller best in a roller coaster analogy (second paragraph down) that was dead-on in its portrayal of the prototypical thriller's plot. As I read every word of what Jaq wrote, I realized that's exactly what Disturbia did itself. It's just as disturbing and thrilling as it is fun and exciting. The trio of Shia LaBeouf, Aaron Yoo, and Sarah Roemer are a vibrant and wonderful combination on screen, and its these young actors that really make Disturbia such a fantastic movie to kick off this summer.

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