Disturbia (2007)- Review

Rear Window with Uber charismatic Shia LaBeouf, what’s not to like?

Some time after the death of his father and now under house arrest for assaulting his teacher, Kale (LaBeouf) now spends his days staring out his windows scanning his neighbourhood. As his three-month period of isolation plays out, Kale gets close to his new neighbour Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and becomes suspicious of the reclusive Robert Turner (David Morse).

Spending years in production hell after Christopher Reeves‘ intentions of a Rear Window remake and eventually expiring on the shelf of a studio, Steven Spielberg was the final push that the film needed to get its wheels in motion. Adding in a mix of Say Anything, Straw Dogs & The Conversation, there isn‘t all that much originality in this mixing pot but it’s somehow just as entertaining in its own right as the inspirations were. The star power of James Stewart is equalled, if not matched by the young LaBeouf who had his star turn in the Evens Stevens series, and where Stewart was more of an actor capable of playing characters, a little of that madness and charm of Louis Stevens is evident in Shia’s performance here, as well as a more subtle sense of Cabin Fever (a sense everyone can appreciate in the current circumstances). Rear Window does still feel more grounded in comparison and it’s world feels slightly more lived in which means that Disturbia is unfortunately a little one dimensional outside it’s core cast And setting.

Flat or not though the performance of David Morse leaves a sense of palpable terror and is exceptional work on his behalf. Having a world that feels alive is by the by when you’ve got a plot which is thoroughly entertaining and the rare interactions with the supporting cast are hilarious skits. Turner has more than enough screen time to flourish as a villain, though I personally found the route they took with the number of red herrings and misdirects was a little pointless, Rear Window itself had the same flaw and it’s difficult to shake that but it can be overlooked as performance and cinematography was more than enough to make for an entertaining affair.

As far as action goes, there was some genuinely clever pieces which rely on the rules established in the world (related specifically to Kale’s ankle tag) and culminate best in a bone crunching finale.

A genuinely well made individual piece and solid remake (whether or not it’s actually officially a remake), Disturbia, currently available on Netflix in the UK was a thoroughly entertaining surprise and is the perfect lockdown film, give it a watch!