Disturbia Starts with the Classic Storyline of Hitchcock's Rear Window
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Disturbia can not survive a comparison to the Hitchcock classic. Thankfully the frightening slasher elements allow for avoiding comparison.
Written by BHM Editor Don Sumner
April 21, 2007
Release: 2007
Directed by: D.J. Caruso
Written by: Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth
Starring:
Shia LaBeouf as Kale
Sarah Roemer as Ashley
Carrie-Anne Moss as Julie
David Morse as Mr. Turner
Aaron Yoo as Ronnie
Bored: To make weary by being dull, repetitive, or tedious (Dictionary.com)
What would you do if there was literally nothing to do? The answer, in my mind, is to find something, anything to do rather than sit in silence and waste away.
This is exactly what Kale (Shia LaBeouf) does in Disturbia. First, a little background.
One year ago Kale was driving home from a fishing trip with his father along a winding mountain road. One dramatic and shocking accident later Kale is left without a father
trying to deal with the guilt he feels for his Dad's death.
Fast forward one year…Kale is in Spanish class when a particularly unpleasant teacher makes a crack about Kale's father that earns that teacher a punch in the eye. The incident lands Kale in police custody and then stuck in his house under house arrest. The punishment is enforced by an ankle-sensor that will alert the police to any transgressions to his allowed boundaries. The cop that comes running when the ankle-sensor goes off just happens to be the cousin of the eye-blackened teacher. Kale is going to stay put.
Kale's mom is upset about the loss also, and frustrated with Kale to the point of cutting off all outside distractions including television, online video games and iPod music. Okay, Disturbia is chock full of product endorsements, but I digress…
With all modern distractions eliminated Kale has nothing whatsoever to do…well, there is one thing – he can spy on the neighbors and watch them go about their lives. Even Mr. Turner mowing the lawn is more interesting than what's going on in Kale's house. There also happens to be a hot girl next door that undresses in front of her open windows and likes to take regular swims in her bikini. Being a shut-in looks better and better.
What Kale will soon find out is that if you watch people long enough you are bound to find out things that you maybe shouldn't know. What kind of things? Well, I don't know…maybe that Mr. Turner may also be a vicious serial killer?
Disturbia has been compared to the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear Window because the theme of being stuck inside and watching those that are outside is in common. Disturbia has this element as well as several other specifics in common with Rear Window but the result is very different. The set-up, intrigue and cleverness do not compare to the classic Hitchcock tale. The viciousness of the villain, the gore and the climax, however, are 100% modern graphic, exciting, edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride slasher.
We live in an era of remakes and re-tellings of classic horror movies and in a way Disturbia is just a remake of Rear Window with a different name. In other ways, however, director D.J. Caruso takes the storyline of the classic and makes it his own. The jumps, scares, suspense and gore are great in Disturbia, and it stands on its own as a scary and suspenseful slasher flick. Disturbia does not come close to the brilliant storytelling and genius of Hitchcock but then, what does? Questions or comments about Disturbia? Contact us!
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