Disturbed

Movie Review

Disturbia

Directed by D. J. Caruso

Disturbia, I've been wanting to see this movie for quite awhile. By the time I realized that IMDB gave it a decent review, the movie's out of circulation in the many theaters near me. My luck came around when I found a DVD of it back when I was visiting good ol' Jakarta. Got the chance to pop it into the DVD player on a good Sunday evening (while denying the fact that the next day was actually and inevitably Monday). And I had quite a fun watching this movie.

Disturbia tells a story of one Kale Brecht, whose life takes a turn for the worse when his father dies in a car accident, an accident in which he survives. After the tragedy, Brecht becomes rather antisocial and sullen. During a Spanish class, the teacher said something that provoked Kale's anger and physical violence ensues. One thing leads to another, and Brecht finds himself under house arrest for 3 months. Trying to get rid off the boredom afflicting his condition, Brecht tries to find entertainment by spying on his neighbours. It is during this time that he finds some unsettling things about one of his neighbours, one Robert Turner.

The story in Disturbia is quite good, but in my opinion it could have been developed more. I am in particular pointing out the relationship between Kale Brecht and his father, I feel that this is only to serve to bring the story to the part where Brecht got his house arrest and the events that will later follow, and there's no continuation of how Brecht cope and find redemption in the lost of his father. However, this is a thriller movie and not drama, and in this regards the story works quite well. The movie might not have the most scary, make-you-jump-out-of-seat, story and screenplay. However, in the thriller department, it still entertains.

Alright, let's take a look at some of the crucial elements of a thriller, or any good movies for that matter. Acting? Shia LaBeouf actually delivers, fitting his role as an angsty, antosocial teenager perfectly. Seems like he's good when it comes to playing teenager roles, especially with his face that blends innocence and mischief perfectly. Carrie-Anne Moss' performance is also decent, playing the mother of a hard-to-handle Brecht. Funny sidekick? Check. Aaron Yu, playing as Becht's best friend Ronald, delivers the comic reliefs in many of the movie's scenes. Hot chick? Check and double check. Sarah Roemer is your typical hot chick that you just gotta have in a thriller, but the good thing is that they don't whore her too much. And, last but not least, a scary villain? Check, with David Morse playing the antagonist role as Robert Turner. He's got the face, however I just don't see him as menacing enough a villain in this movie.

All in all, an entertaining movie all around. Good story with some regrettably underdeveloped potential but manage to entertain nonetheless, decent acting by the casts, and some interesting gadgetry in many of the scenes (Marketing, marketing! Brand awareness, brand awareness!). And I'm so getting a PlayStation Portable.