They’re alone in the house, his muscular 19 year old torso pressing her against the wall. “No, stop,” she gasps, “this is wrong” but he knows she wants it as his lips sample the flesh on her neck. His shirt rises up, exposing his washboard abs and she melts in his arms, conquered and gasping…
The end.
…at least, the end of sanity when a school teacher’s one moment of weakness with her neighbour’s hunky grandson turns into a nightmare in this fun little psycho-thriller that offers nothing new but pulls it off nicely.
The Boy Next Door is your typical Fatal Attraction set up and conclusion starring Jennifer Lopez as Claire, the estranged wife and mother who finds herself in a dangerous liaison with Noah, the sweet, cute guy from next door (effectively underplayed by Ryan Guzman).
Director Rob Cohen (Fast and the Furious and xXx) knows how to pace a story and he builds the tension in Barbara Curry’s script quickly but without rushing, always making us wonder what fiendish game Noah will play next. His good looking cast not only suit their roles physically, but put in solid performances, avoiding too many histrionics along the way. Guzman, in particular, is convincing as the troubled youth.
The unfolding desperation of all involved and the impact of events on Claire and her family carry the film with enough intrigue to retain interest right through to the final showdown.
The Blu-ray bonus content includes a ‘making of…’ feature, deleted scenes and commentary by the director.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 6
The Boy Next Door is released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 11 June 2015
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