The Boy Next Door (Movie Review)

To put it simply, The Boy Next Door is a bad movie with a heart of gold. When a film can straddle that line of "this is garbage" and "I need to tell all of my friends" then it's a winner. That line is where the campy classics are born for film lovers. Rob Cohen's latest film falls squarely into that wooded forest of special films with its goofy line deliveries, over the top thriller sequences, and underlying mythological parallels. 

Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez) is dealing with a lot. Her husband Garrett (John Corbett) is trying to win her back after an affair. Her son Kevin suffers from severe allergic reactions that require calm environments and close watch. When the new neighbor Noah Sanborn (Ryan Guzman) begins to befriend Kevin and help Claire with daily chores, Claire feels a little of that weight begin to lift. In its place, she finds herself drawn to the young, attractive and intelligent Noah. One night Noah seduces Claire, but once the deed is done, Claire feels the guilt of sleeping with a younger man. She withdraws from him and tries to force her life back into normal perspective, only to feel Noah's presence loom closer and closer. Noah enrolls himself in Claire's English course which sets the ball rolling for an obsession of insane proportions that she will never escape.

The premise to The Boy Next Door is a slightly higher caliber than a Lifetime original thriller. Woman and man child make a hasty decision that puts said woman in danger. However, the added bonus to this film is that there are hints of horror with campy choices. It goes that notch higher by having Noah be so obsessed with Claire that he commits some bloody crimes. He is very creative with his use of hair and EpiPens. The dialogue that accompanies is nothing short of delicious ridiculous. There's a scene the day after Claire and Noah sleep together where Noah constantly refers to her "cookies" and how wet it was the night before. It's bad, but oh so good. On top of the campy dialogue, the overall ride is one that feels nice and surprisingly exciting. Once the director and writer have painted the picture that this is going to be an odd and unpredictable experience, the only means to get through it are to sit back and enjoy. The film has no fear of showing its absurdity or campiness, especially in the final sequence of fighting. Any horror or thriller fan will love the amount of homage dripping in each stabbing and final blow attempt.

The most intriguing part of the film are the brains underneath. The writer seemed to have some fun by tying most of the story to Greek mythology. There are constant references to "The Iliad", "The Odyssey" and "Oedipus Rex" which raise many questions. Noah's character has issues, that's clear, but these Greek ties hint at a possibility of incest and family murder in his past. It's as if the whole movie is an update on Greek tragedies with the way the dialogue is written and delivered.

The tricky truth about this film is that it will likely turn many viewers off completely. Unless one is looking for the context and subtleties underlying the scenes, then it will just be another thriller with JLo's name splashed across it to rake in a decent box office income. For those that do go with the ride and appreciate it for what it is, then they'll find a new classic to return to again and again. Whichever camp one falls into, a good time should be had in making fun of it, or checking for its release on Blu-Ray.