[yasr_overall_rating]
A pair of high school kids try to trick a neighbor into thinking a house is haunted, but their intended victim turns out to be far more dangerous than they imagined.
What mischief can two teenage boys drum up spending most of their time during six weeks in a bedroom full of high tech computer and surveillance equipment? Ethan (Logan Miller) and Sean (Keir Gilchrist) decide to conduct a surveillance experiment on a grumpy, old neighbor, Harold Grainey (James Caan). The boys install cameras and remote control devices in every room of the house, except two: the garage, and the basement. Their objective: to make someone believe they are being haunted.
“The Good Neighbor” is a ghost story, brilliantly written by Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, with the hearts of young teenage boys in mind. Sean and Logan set up switches and gadgets to slam doors, turn electricity and appliances on and off, and make things go bang and bump in the night. This is the least I would expect in a good ghost story. One of the key elements to a good ghost story is the reaction of the haunted person. James Caan plays his role as Harold Grainey with such intensity and rush of adrenaline that comes from deep within someone who is horrifically tormented with a haunting experience.
Filming of “The Good Neighbor” is much like “The Blair Witch Project.” Most of this movie is shown as filmed with small surveillance cameras, a phone camera, and an “eye in the sky,” such as those seen on the walls and ceilings in most retail stores. While this filming tactic sounds a little different from the regular every day movie, the process is necessary for the experiment. The effect actually makes the movie viewers occasionally feel as though they are a part of the movie. Filming in this manner is effective in making the experiment believable.
Obviously, the boys get into a lot of trouble. The surveillance control station is constructed in Logan’s HUGE bedroom: full of computer and surveillance equipment, a huge desk, a TV, book and trophy shelves, posters, and a small dresser stuck in the corner. This is basically a teen’s dream-sized room (big enough for all your stuff and friends, too). Throughout the movie, the audience is drawn into a trial scene. The district attorney (Tamlyn Tomita) brings up a brilliant question to Logan’s mother (Anne Dudek). “How could such an elaborate scheme be executed right under your own roof?” Logan’s mother responds, “When you’re a mother, you’d much rather have your son sitting with his friends in his room with cameras than out doing God knows what, doing drugs, drinking, and getting into trouble.” I must say this is a typical answer. Most people hope that if your kids are close at hand, you can help keep them out of trouble but obviously, this is not always the case.
How do you like your ghost story? I like mine believable, with a twist at the end, leaving me shaken, screaming, and crying, all at the same time. The best thrillers will dig into your mind and stay for days, tormenting you every time you happen to think about the climax. I applaud this movie for all these reasons but I also recommend Parental Guidance to the younger viewers due to violence and brief, partial nudity.
In theaters and VOD Friday, September 16th
