The Neighbor (2016)
Film Review
By the Geezer of Oz
“Set in Cutter Mississippi, the film follows a man who discovers the dark truth about his neighbor and the secrets he may be keeping in the cellar.” (IMDb)
Director Marcus Dunstan (The Collector, The Collection) keeps showing us that he can make decent films with low budgets. Though this one is a slasher/torture horror-thriller by the numbers, Dunstan’s work always seems to give you something extra to elevate the film above mediocre status.
It borrows elements from films from as far back as Hitchcock‘s Rear Window, to more recent films like Disturbia and Don’t Breathe, but doesn’t quite reach the intensity level of those, which may be mostly due to budgetary limitations. However, What the film lacks in the originality department, it seems to make up for with Dunstan’s steady hand and Josh Stewart (The Collector, The Collection, The Hunted, Insidious: The Last Key, Malicious), a Dunstan regular, providing his trademark quiet charisma.
Bill Engvall (Delta Force 2007, Bait Shop, Catching Faith) as off-putting neighbor, Troy and Alex Essoe (Dark Intentions, Fashionista, Midnighters) as sexy girlfriend, Rosie, are a bit uneven, but still serviceable.
All in all, The Neighbor is somehow enjoyable enough and does the job it is intended to do for a low budget horror-thriller.
Above average, 6/10.
