It's a case of the quieter the streets, the darker the secrets in Disturbia; an incredibly enjoyable teen take on that voyeuristic Hitchcock classic Rear Window. Disturbia stars Shia LaBeouf as Kale, an adolescent whose house arrest sees his boredom move to binoculars, and to a discovery far more disturbing than unkempt lawns.
Following the death of his father in a shocking pre-credit opening sequence, Kale winds up security tagged and housebound after an assault on his Spanish teacher. When cautioned by police for breaching the bounds of his tag, Kale's gaze falls upon nubile new neighbour Ashley (Sarah Roemer), a girl so ridiculously adept at pool-side posing it's little wonder she becomes the object of his, and best friend Ronnie's (Aaron Yoo), affections. As their nascent relationship grows, so does their suspicion of Mr Turner (David Morse), 'that shy man from across the street' whose dented car is a perfect match for a wanted serial killer.
Once Kale, Ashley and Ronnie's tracking of Mr Turner begins, the vicarious thrills of their handicam and mobile investigations take shape. In one particularly fraught scene, Ronnie is forced to break into Mr Turner's garage to recover his lost mobile, all played out to terrifying effect through the use of a handheld camera, and back to an anxious housebound Kale and the wider cinema audience. Unlike Hitchcock's allegory of the 1950's television era - Disturbia is a suspense thriller aimed at a society obsessed with digital technology in all forms. Whether it's for filming, communication, or as utility, director D.J. Caruso uses all to good effect, in what amounts to a tense, subtle, thriller by modern Hollywood standards.
The film isn't without its weak points. If your tendencies leans towards the homicidal, would you really want to arouse suspicion by dragging a bloodied bin bag down your front porch stairs? Or leave your curtains open when you invite your latest victim back for some knife terror? Whilst the film never goes anywhere you wouldn't expect it to, strong performances from Shia LaBeouf and David Morse ensure that, unlike most neighbourhoods, this is one well worth watching.
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