
DescriptionLadiesandgentlemen,steprightupandpreparetobesmasheddownhardbecauseweĺreabouttounveilatwistedlittledittythatgoesfurtherdowntheshockfreewaythanyoucouldeverwantafilmtogo.Behold:NEIGHBORŚafilmthatcauseditsowneditortovomit!Anunnamedgirl(AmericaOlivo,lastseenintheFRIDAYTHE13THremake)wandersthroughaposhsuburbanneighbourhood,breakingintohomesand...stayingawhile.Usuallyforjustacoupleofdays,duringwhichperiodshepassesthetimetorturingandslaughteringanyonewhohappenedtobehomewhenshegotthere.SheĺsnotaverynicepersonŚwhichisnĺttosaythatsheisnĺtpersonable.Shecanactuallyberathercharmingwhensheneedstobe.Downrightmanipulative,sometimes.EnterDon(ChristianCampbell),ayoungbachelorwholivesaloneinaratherlargehouseonastreetourgirlhappenstobeeyeing.Sheĺsseenhimbeforeinabarandsheknowsheĺsseenherback.Beforeheknowsit,Donfindshimselftiedupingirltrouble.Literallytiedup,andverymuchintrouble,thekindthatinvolvesbrokenbonesandpower-drilledtoesŚforstarters.Donĺsgotahugehousepartycomingupinafewdays.Thisgivesourgirlplentyoftimetostageapunishmentpartyofherown,andanyonewhohappenstodropbyunannouncedgetstojoininthefestivities.NEIGHBORisoneofthosefilmsthatwillhaveeventhemostjadedaudiencessquirmingandscreamingbythe30-minutemark.IfyoucouldnĺthandlethelastactofMiikeĺsAUDITION,thisisnĺtthefilmforyou.Nearlytheentiresecondhalfisanastonishing,GrandGuignolseriesofextremesequencesthatseriouslypushtheenvelopeŚcharacter-driven,mindyou,andnothingliketheso-calledôtorturepornöwave,thisissmart,freakystuff.Writer/directorRobertMasciantoniotoyswithhisaudiencethroughtemporalshiftsandvisualsleight-of-hand,thedistressinglyconvincingmake-upeffects,whichincludeseveralweĺveneverseendonebefore,furtherôsweeteningöthedeal.Shot,ratherfittingly,ontheRedOnesystem,NEIGBORcleverlyflipsthegenderrolesofclassicexploitationcinemastaples,givingusalonewomanwhoterrorizesaseriesofmostlyveryfrightenedanddefenselessmen.Lovetheyneighbour?Dependsonwhereyourpainthresholdlies.Wecanĺtimaginefindinganastierfilmthisyear.Watchoutforaninspiredfour-minutesteadicamshotandanappearancebyJohnWatersvetMinkStole.—MitchDavis


