What seems to have bogged writers and directors down of late, is their insistence on adding an unnecessary level of pretension to films which really don’t require anything of the sort. There are certain preconceptions when one goes to see a Hollywood thriller revolving around a typically lurid conceit and when the fun slowly ebbs away and the ill-conceived dramatics slip in, the feeling of being cheated rises to the surface. So all of this complaining finally brings me to Disturbia.

Released back in April in the states and becoming a tidy little sleeper hit, it presents itself with a very blunt but easily sellable hook: Rear Window for teens.

The improbably-named Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is a teen struggling to overcome a tragedy that starts the film off with a short, sharp jolt to the system. A year on and after an altercation with his Spanish teacher, Kale finds himself stuck with an unenviable punishment. He’s under house arrest, tagged so that if he dares to leave his immediate area, he’ll be hauled back into court with the threat of jail time.

Firstly seeing it as an excuse to play video games and remain on his arse for the entire summer, boredom soon sets in. A boredom that is somewhat alleviated by the bizarre behaviour of his neighbour over the road. When a local girl goes missing, Kale starts to question whether or not he may be living on the same street as a killer. But the more he watches, the more he realises that his curiosity isn’t going unnoticed…

Lacking the unattainable ambition of some of it’s suspenseless peers, Disturbia arrives as a refreshingly successful start to the Autumn season. Not only do the executives who chose to green-light the film see it as just a Rear Window rip-off, but apparently so does the writer, and the script is happy to coast on a familiar plot that can’t fail to involve the viewer. It sounds like a back-handed compliment to praise the makers for their unoriginality and lack of ambition but Disturbia delivers exactly what it promises, nothing more, nothing less.

It’s smooth sailing really from beginning to end. All of the scares are family-friendly, there are no real twists and although greater atrocities are hinted it, the violence is kept to a minimum. The slickness is further emphasised by the choice of lead. Following his turn in Transformers, and preceding his role in the upcoming Indiana Jones 4, Shia LaBeouf is perfect in the role. He has the sort of asexual everyman quality that has made Tom Hanks so popular with the masses. He’ll never become a heartthrob but I bet you he’ll make a mint nonetheless.

Disturbia isn’t the kind of film you have to see. No one should rush out this weekend to catch it. But if you did happen to see it, preferably at a suitable late-night slot on TV, you’d doubtless be entertained. Admittedly you’d have trouble remembering it the day after, but you’d still find it an enjoyable way to waste 100 minutes. In a time when everything is being sold as something it isn’t, one has to admire Disturbia’s complete unabashed honesty. It’s just a fun, trashy thriller and as predictable as it may be, it’s firm grasp on what it is, and more importantly what it isn’t, is something that a lot of other thrillers should take note of.

  share:  Facebook | Digg | del.icio.us | more