Disturbia

I have been raving about this movie from the moment I walked out of the theater over a year ago, and I will continue to rave for many years to come. Disturbia is a brilliant mix of suspense, drama, teen romance and most surprisingly, humor. I'm generally not a fan of horror movies, particularly not of the gory torture genre that has emerged in recent years, so I'm happy to say that Disturbia is much more thriller than horror film. Director DJ Caruso effortlessly lightens the tension of this growing mystery with the humorous details of everyday life. He also manages to create what can only be described as one of the most intense scenes that I've ever watched within the first ten minutes of the film. Along with Caruso's direction, the success of the film is clearly the result of a talented ensemble cast, led by Shia LaBeouf.


Bad guy David Morse is the actor you love to hate. He flawlessly projects the reserved demeanor of your typical guy-next door psychopath, straddling the line between menacing foe to Kale (Shia LaBeouf) and charming gentleman to Kale's mother, Julie (Carrie-Anne Moss). Carrie-Anne Moss offers a refreshing performance as a loving mother trying to be understanding while maintaining authority over her troubled son. Also in supporting roles are Aaron Yoo as Ronnie, the quirky best friend, and Sarah Roemer playing the new girl in town and the object of Kale's affection, Ashley. The chemistry between the three young actors is incredibly natural and helps to ground Kale as a typical teenager who's just made some bad decisions while dealing with a difficult time in his life.

I've been a fan of Shia LaBeouf since the Even Steven days, but this is the first film where young women everywhere realized that Shia is more than just the oddball comedian; he's actually kind of sexy. But even beyond realizing that little Shia has grown up well, Disturbia only continues to highlight LaBeouf's exceptional acting talent. Of the three films LaBeouf starred in during 2007 (Disturbia, Surf's Up, Transformers), he was quoted as saying that Disturbia was his favorite simply because it was so character driven, and I have to agree wholeheartedly. LaBeouf effortlessly portrays a myriad of emotions as a teenage boy dealing with the emotional upheaval of losing a loved one, followed by the mental toll of living under house arrest.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about this movie. I laughed, I swooned, I jumped, and for a solid minute I think I forgot to breathe. For those of you that insist you can't handle scary movies, I have to insist that this film is worth it. Invite a bunch of friends over, watch it in the middle of the day with all the lights on; whatever you need to do, this is a must-see.

Recommendation: Mary's Favorites