Disturbia Clever in Name, Not in Viewing

Genres: Thriller and Teen
Running Time: 1 hr. 44 min.
Release Date: April 13th, 2007 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality.
Distributors: Paramount Pictures

Directed by: D.J. Caruso

JJ Rating: B

Boy gets in trouble with the law and is under house arrest for several months. He's told to occupy his mind so that he doesn't go crazy. He decides to be a voyeur and peer into the lives of his neighbor's. He peers into the life of a hot girl and he peers into the life of a man he assumes is evil and kills women. One of them becomes his friend. Guess.

Disturbia is, I would take it, a combination of the word disturbed and suburbia. It's a clever combination and clever title. Is it a clever movie? According to the genre it's a thriller and teen movie. Based on that I think it's rather good. Teen movies are usually bland and lacking in cohesiveness. This movie had a pretty good story line and there is a very good action sequence at the beginning. Further description of such would ruin the "shock" value but it has to be one of the better scenes I've seen in a while.

Shia LaBeouf is a good actor. He has been in several films and the one I really remember him from is Holes. Disturbia is far from Holes and he shows it by his acting. He actually pulls it off. It's as if he is growing up on screen movie by movie so maybe he won't disappear into nothing like other child actors do. He has a chance of being more...if that is what he wants.

Thrillers are not one of my favorite genres. They are just there for me. I happen to like some of them and I happen to dislike some of them. What I like about this one is that it builds up and then makes you sort of second guess what is going on. I was not really second guessing a whole lot but at least it tried. Also I like the silly moments that have you wonder if it is serious or not and then it turns out to be a GOTCHA moment. Love that it added humor to the thrill because it can sometimes catch you off guard thinking it was a thrill moment when oh nose it was trickery and it was just a silly moment.