Rated PG-13 for sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality.
Directed by D.J. Caruso (Two for the Money and Taking Lives)
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, and Sarah Roemer
Disturbia is an entertaining teen thriller.
Kale Brecht (Shia LaBeouf) is placed under house arrest after punching his Spanish teacher; just another of his outbursts as he tries to cope with the tragedy of seeing his father die in a car accident. It doesn’t take long for boredom to take over Kale’s life and as a result he occupies himself by spying on his neighbors. What starts as a hobby to pass time, quickly turns into terror when one night he witnesses what appears to be a murder in his neighbor’s, Mr. Turner (David Morse), house. Kale and his friends find themselves in some precarious situations as they try to uncover the truth behind the murders.
This pseudo-remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window replaces a wheelchair bound adult with a smart-aleck teenager who has all the technical gadgets that I wish I had. And it all worked for me.
The characters are smart, likeable and believable. I may sound like a junior high girl here, but I love Shia LaBeouf. Seriously, he has turned in some great performances in Holes, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and Transformers. He doesn’t disappoint in Disturbia as we see him go from hilarious to intense… sometimes seconds apart. Then there’s David Morse (bad guy from 16 Blocks, The Green Mile…) who delivers a scary, intense performance as the creepy neighbor.
The pace of the film is fast, the script is strong and clever and I was on the edge of my seat for much of the 105 minutes.
If you are looking for a good popcorn thriller…don’t hesitate to rent it.
My biggest criticism is that this is a film about teenagers, for teenagers and there are so few positive teenage moments. While it is not as offensive as teen fodder like the American Pie films, it is still a far cry from any kind of role model movie.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Disturbia is one of those PG-13 rated movies that had to be one swear word away from an R-rating. There are a ton of sexually provocative scenes like Ashley stripping down to her bikini for a swim, working out in a sports bra, sunbathing or undressing in her room while Kale drools over her and a few scenes of young boys watching porn. Not to mention the car crash is disturbing and realistic and there are some other scenes that are pretty violent.
Side Note:
We don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
