HORROR DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEWS

Bob and Wendi Peterson seem to be starting their dream life with a new house and a new job. But things soon get ugly when their friendly neighbor Adrien begins turning the dream into a nightmare.

Some of the words I would use to describe Neighborhood Watch would be crude, vile, sleazy and maybe even disgusting. And yes... that is a good thing. Is this the goriest movie you’ll ever see? No way, but something about it makes it pretty atrocious just the same. This is the kind of movie that creeps under your skin until you vomit it out. Poor Bob and Wendi (Jack Huston and Pell James); they try and start a new life and end up with the ultimate nightmare. You know the kind of neighbor that brings the welcome basket? Well, you might not want to accept it after seeing this flick. Nick Searcy as Adrien gets my vote as the worst dude to live next to… ever. He is perfect as the diseased freak next door. To tell you anything more would give too much away. Also giving very strong performances, Jack Huston and Pell James had me rooting for them from the beginning. The sold me from the opening “kitty” play to the gut ridden climax.

Writer/director Graeme Whifler did a nice job here. He opened the film in a way that was reminiscent of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Which was incredibly fitting being that this film was similar to Mr. Lynch’s classic in that it peels back the layers of what happens behind closed doors. Certainly enough to make you paranoid about who lives next door and what they are doing in the privacy of their home. And after seeing this flick you won’t want to know. There is enough in this film to make the squeamish go running for the door. Graeme is not afraid to give all the gory details, whether it comes from vomit, diarrhea and even some of what should remain inside the body. Do yourself a favor and don’t do dinner and a movie with this one.

Being that this is a low-budget horror show I really did love how he worked around that via the set design the gore and the talent. But not everything worked here. There are far too many sub-plots that are completely unnecessary and not the most satisfying conclusion. The script came through on many levels but could have been much stronger if it stayed simple. Luckily the dialogue worked most of the time and most of the supporting actors did a fair enough job to make it work. So if you’re in the neighborhood; make sure you stop on by.

Neighborhood Watch is a slow moving yet surprisingly creepy little flick. We get some fantastic performances from Pell James and Jack Huston. And a pretty damn disturbing creep named Adrien played by Nick Searcy. Good job dude! And if it’s gore you’re looking for then this should keep you happy; even though it isn’t your typical slasher fare. Writer-director Graeme Whifler knows how to get under your skin. His subtle direction and mostly well written dialogue kept my attention. But he could have benefited from the “less is more” when it came to building several sub-plots but not really following through with them. Definitely worth stopping by this neighborhood if your in the mood for a nice cup of morbid… please won’t you be, my neighbor?