The Horror Show
The Neighbor
by Marcus Dunstan
When gripping home invasion horror and slow tension meet, chances are the outcome will be rather pleasing. Especially if you add up a very talented filmmaker, things get even better for us viewers. Marcus Dunstan is behind one of this year’s most stylish and well-put together thrillers, balancing tension and gore in a very successful manner.
Dunstan’s story follows John (Josh Stewart) and his wife Rosie (Alex Essoe), a young couple stuck in a small Mississippi town struggling to raise a bit of cash by doing some rather illegal jobs. As they are about to put an end to their illicit career and start fresh in Mexico, Rosie’s sudden disappearance stirs up waves of agony and turns the couple’s plans upside down. Enter weird neighbour Troy (Bill Engvall).
In an effort to find his missing wife, John turns to Troy for help; the next door neighbour who the couple was occasionally spying on with a telescope. And then it’s only a matter of time before John finds out that his neighbour has deeper and darker secrets.
Dunstan knows the cat-and-mouse game well. We’ve seen his strong skills in action in The Collector (also starring Josh Steward) and its sequel The Collection, but we also got a taste of his talent in the Saw franchise, for which he wrote a couple of instalments. So, it’s only natural that The Neighbor goes down familiar paths, but fortunately for us viewers with certain style and flair.
For a home invasion horror flick, Dunstan doesn’t hold back on the gore, but he also doesn’t rely on it. In fact, he tries to emphasise on the action and suspense, whereas the sharp set-up creates a dour atmosphere that is vital for such movies. And even though he doesn’t resort to stereotypical jump scare tactics, he uses Troy’s brutality to the maximum effect. However, the character’s brutal nature works as a double-edged sword, meaning that despite being satisfying for the viewers, it loses a clear sense of purpose.
It’s the movies raw ingredients, and especially its characters, that required extra attention. Despite the fact that the main idea has been touched upon in the past several times, it is not The Neighbor’s basic flaw. Its flaw lies mainly in the characters, who don’t offer much to remain engaging. However, it’s an interesting thriller and if you, too, loved The Collector, you might find this one particularly entertaining.
Maria Kriva, HMS
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