Disturbia (2007)

68% of critics liked it
(171 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(1,383,241 ratings)

Salton Sea director D.J. Caruso travels from the shore to the suburbs for this suspenseful tale of a high-school senior who suspects that his neighbor is a notorious serial killer. Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is a high-school senior who has yet to come to terms with the fact that his father is gone, the… More Salton Sea director D.J. Caruso travels from the shore to the suburbs for this suspenseful tale of a high-school senior who suspects that his neighbor is a notorious serial killer. Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is a high-school senior who has yet to come to terms with the fact that his father is gone, the tragic victim of a fatal accident. As Kale's mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) struggles to pay the bills by picking up extra shifts at work, her son's behavior grows increasingly erratic. When an altercation at school finds Kale placed under court-ordered house arrest, the homebound student teams with newly arrived girl-next-door Ashley (Sarah Roemer) to investigate the suspicious neighbor (David Morse) whom Kale believes to be an elusive and wanted serial killer. Their attentions focused intensely on the man they believe to be a murderous maniac hiding in broad daylight, Kale and Ashley trespass down a dangerous path while attempting to discern whether his suspicions are grounded in fact or just a combination of deep depression and suffocating cabin fever. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: D.J. Caruso
Written By: Christopher Landon, Carl Ellsworth
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 13, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Aug 7, 2007
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
This is a cool little thriller with some big scares and fine performances.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Offsetting the chilly voyeurism is a viable teen romance and an appealing sense of humor. Though there are occasional lapses in logic, Disturbia is consistently suspenseful and entertainingly disturbing.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
While Disturbia does nothing to advance or honour Hitchcock, the movie succeeds on its modest terms.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
Caruso, a very visual director, serves up some surprises and scares, and he's paced his movie briskly. You're out of this disturbing suburbia before you know it, shaken and even stirred.
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger
A surprisingly competent film, Disturbia lives up to its title. It's rare to find a decent film turn up in the dead of April, traditionally Hollywood's dump month for shelved oddities.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Director D.J. Caruso relies entirely too much on clichéd shock cuts and keeps pulling back every time the flick seems to be settling into anything close to a creepy mood.
Ben Rawson-Jones, Digital Spy
Disturbia is a thoroughly enjoyable film that conforms to the horror genre's conventions, yet always feels fresh thanks to a combination of well-judged performances, cleverly structured writing and suitably claustrophobic direction.
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix
A feature-length alt-rock-soundtrack shill that merges with violin strains that would make even Bernard Herrmann blanch.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...an unabashedly high-concept premise that's primarily employed to surprisingly positive effect...
Tony Macklin, Fayetteville Free Weekly
Disturbia is a well-made, very entertaining thriller.
Heather Huntington, ReelzChannel.com
In addition to borrowing the idea behind Rear Window, Disturbia pays homage to Hitchcock in its sense of pacing, as well, in its use of the Hitchcock's signature slow build.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Voyeuristic teen Rear Window update.
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
As a thriller, this is mechanical and predictable - barely one-step away from cookie-cutter formulaic - and yet the film actually works up a decent amount of genuine feeling, thanks to the cast of characters.
Matthew Sorrento, Film Threat
With all the promise to be the year's best teen scream flick, Disturbia gets lost while overly trying to please its demographic.
Jeff Bayer, The Scorecard Review
Disturbia takes it's time setting up the thrills and Shia LaBeouf actually acts like a high schooler.
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
An baleis stin akri ta almata tis plokis kai tis trypoyles poy kseprobaloyn deila edo ki ekei, leitoyrgei mia hara san kalogyalismeno efibiko thriler, poy toylahiston kanei tin prospatheia gia na se koroidepsei poylontas hip moyri, se antithesi me alla po
Philip French, Observer [UK]
A limp teenage by-the-numbers version of Rear Window.
JoBlo, JoBlo's Movie Emporium
One of the big sleepers of the year.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
The parts of the film that work...are surprisingly due mostly to the presence of Shia LaBeouf.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
Hitchcock would turn in his grave.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jens S

This review won't get into the question whether or not it makes sense to offer a quasi-remake of Hitchcock's "Rear window" for the generation X-Box. Shia LaBeof is the obvious acting choice as a young troublemaker who is under house arrest while coping with his… More
This review won't get into the question whether or not it makes sense to offer a quasi-remake of Hitchcock's "Rear window" for the generation X-Box. Shia LaBeof is the obvious acting choice as a young troublemaker who is under house arrest while coping with his father's death. The rest is well known: hot neighbor moves in, while another neighbor acts very suspicious and we find ourselves in a story of stalking, murder and sexual tension, not necessarily in that order. What the film does really well is create an atmosphere of an exciting teen summer, with the new crush and the surveillance of the neighborhood. It also does create a couple of great moments of excitement and tension. Sadly, a couple of teenage decisions come from the "stupid horror film kids" book and the showdown is maybe a bit over the top. That doesn't change the fact that this is a worthy nod to the classic and pretty good entertainment.
Chris W

This is a vastly inferior remake (to a degree) of Rear Window, but, I guess for those unfortunate souls who have yet to watch that one, I could see how this might be seen as a fun little thrill ride. It certainly does have its moments, and it could have done a worse job of updating… More
This is a vastly inferior remake (to a degree) of Rear Window, but, I guess for those unfortunate souls who have yet to watch that one, I could see how this might be seen as a fun little thrill ride. It certainly does have its moments, and it could have done a worse job of updating the material for a new generation, but even then, this wasn't really necessary or called for. Rear Window still holds up, and it actually had stuff going on underneath the surface. This is all surface, and only marginally impressive. I wasn't bored watching this, but it's not a good sign that I had Hitchcock on the brain the entire time, either. LaBeouf will (and should) have a long career ahead of him, but he should spend his time doing other, better projects instead of stuff like this. I enjoyed seeing Carrie-Anne Moss, but like Shia, she deserves better. Morse is good at this sort of thing though. All in all, this is just kinda of average blah. When you compare it to the film it is based on though, it's just a pale and sad imitation.
Cassie H

When I saw this movie I realized that Shia Labeouf grew out of his Disney Channel ways. Not only was his acting excellent in this movie,he also was REALLY CUTE!!!! :) :) :)
Bethany M

This was a scary film, which I wasn't expecting. Extremely creepy and David Morse plays a convincing killer. Shia LeBeouf is nothing short of beautiful and his acting is just that. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and the supsense almost kills you. Great thriller!
Jeff "

I've never seen Hitchcock's Rear Window, so I really don't know the similarities. I read on many webpages that this film was mostly inspired by the 1985 vampire film Fright Night. I can see as to why people would say that it was inspired by that film, as this film has… More
I've never seen Hitchcock's Rear Window, so I really don't know the similarities. I read on many webpages that this film was mostly inspired by the 1985 vampire film Fright Night. I can see as to why people would say that it was inspired by that film, as this film has aserial killer living next door to a teen, and really follows the same plot as Fright Night. Like I said I didn't see Rear Window, so I can't say for a fact that this is an updated version of Hitchcock's classic. I personally enjoyed Disturbia despite the slight rip offs of classic thriller and horror films. Disturbia has a good blend of thrills and horror, but is nothing excellent by any means. The cast are good, especially David Morse as Robert Turner, the neighborhood serial killer that Shia Labeof's character is investigating after being confined for the summer for assaulting his teacher. Disturbia is a good, entertaining film that shouldn't be dismissed too quickly, sure the film is nothing new or original, but it does have plenty of scares and thrills to entertain you for two hours. The cast do a fine job, and the pacing of the film is perfect. The film combines elements of a horrior film and a thriller film very well, and you're always on edge as Robert Turnet outwits his neighbor and remains one step ahead to protect his sinister secret. Disturbia is a good film worth checking out, and has plenty of thrills and scares But in the originality department, it's nothing you haven't seen before. A fun film to check out.
Kase V

A very suspenseful ride that won't let up. Shia is convincing enough to make this Rear Window-esque film thrilling and entertaining.
Brad W

Disturbia worked for me. Shia Lebeof was a perfect choice, the plot was a great mix of horror and humor, and the music deserved an Oscar nomination, it was so perfect and creepy. Disturbia was a good movie and I highly recommend it.
Christopher A

Decent film about a boy, played by the ever likable Shia LaBeouf who is put under house arrest following an attack on his teacher for referencing his recently deceased father. Boredom leads to him spying on the neighbours and upon closer inspection starts making links between the… More
Decent film about a boy, played by the ever likable Shia LaBeouf who is put under house arrest following an attack on his teacher for referencing his recently deceased father. Boredom leads to him spying on the neighbours and upon closer inspection starts making links between the dissapearance of a girl on the news to one of her neighbours. I liked this film alot and particularly enjoyed the character Ronnie played by Aaron Yoo which swayed the film from becomming too serious.
J P

This was a very well made horror film. Most of the characters are very likable, which makes it very easy to care what happens to them. Usually in horror films, the characters are so obnoxious, nobody cares if they die or live- this was not the case in Disturbia. The action… More
This was a very well made horror film. Most of the characters are very likable, which makes it very easy to care what happens to them. Usually in horror films, the characters are so obnoxious, nobody cares if they die or live- this was not the case in Disturbia. The action starts off slow, but I like that because then you get a chance to meet the characters and see what each of their personalities are like. When the action does come within the last hour or so of the film, it's very intense and thrilling. Nothing in this movie is predictable and the acting is so amazing. This is a very nicely made movie and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror movies. This movie will not disappoint.
Richard C

this was actually good, I really liked it. B+
Dead A

This was awesome. Recommend this to watch!
MisterYoda ?

three stars and one and a half out of five!!
Anthony L

A Rear Window remake, starring Shia LaBeouf?? Sound fucking awful eh! Well it wasn't that awful, the character development was OK and the contemporary version works well, but it's still stuck in this moronic Hollywood way of thinking, I mean, why couldn't he have just… More
A Rear Window remake, starring Shia LaBeouf?? Sound fucking awful eh! Well it wasn't that awful, the character development was OK and the contemporary version works well, but it's still stuck in this moronic Hollywood way of thinking, I mean, why couldn't he have just been a nasty kid, why the whole Dead dad story line to justify his position, are we the audience so fickle that we wouldn't accept a story where the 'hero' is just a bad kid rather than a good kid with issues. Pah, whatever, it soon descended into silliness anyway and turned out a little more 'The Burbs' than Rear Window. Better than I was expecting but I wasn't expecting much!
Nicki M

Decent thriller. Drags a little in the middle, and Shia not the best actor, but mostly kept my interest. Aaron Yoo steals the show here.
Clintus M

Disturbia is sufficiently creepy and surprisingly engaging for a teen slasher flick. Its actually much better than that genre. Shis LaBeouf stars as Kale, a youeristic teenager just out to alleviate boredom and meet the new hot girl next door, when his new hobby propels him into a… More
Disturbia is sufficiently creepy and surprisingly engaging for a teen slasher flick. Its actually much better than that genre. Shis LaBeouf stars as Kale, a youeristic teenager just out to alleviate boredom and meet the new hot girl next door, when his new hobby propels him into a Silence of the Lambs-type thriller. First, I am a BIG Hitchcock fan, and I appreciate the modern twists this film employs(house arrest instead of broken leg, high-tech gadgets). Next, the comedic aspects are likewise enjoyable, for example Kale's friend Robbie is scene-stealingly funny and the cop as the cousin of the punched-out Spanish teacher. Lastly, teen angst inevitably turns into teen romance as events unfold. So, its teen angst, young love, some highjinks, then a creepy thriller. Don't attempt to overthink this movie, although the performances make it superior to other teen slasher movies. It isn't Rear Window, nor Halloween,and the screenplay is scattered as others have observed, but it is thoroughly likeable unless you're completely jaded. As a non-teen and lifelong AH/thriller fan, I recommend it.
Jason O

Looks like an annoying teen movie on the outside, but you find out it's rather compelling and holds your interest completely once you start watching it.
KJ P

One of the best recent thrillers that I've seen! I was very interested in it!
Conner R

A perfect popcorn movie. It has everything from comedy to horror without being bloated and insensible. The story is a great retelling of Rear Window, that I feel is more entertaining and modest. Shia LaBeouf was perfect and had some great character moments. The cast all worked really… More
A perfect popcorn movie. It has everything from comedy to horror without being bloated and insensible. The story is a great retelling of Rear Window, that I feel is more entertaining and modest. Shia LaBeouf was perfect and had some great character moments. The cast all worked really well together and had a genuine feel to it. The filming style was above and beyond anything used for teen slashers and adds to the flawlessness of the movie.
Dan S

A decent conversion of a Hitchcock classic to modern-day America. The leads are passable, the story is very predictable however, with an ending that ruins its one shot of suspense big time. It's still a pretty good movie for teens and the like to watch, since the two lead stars… More
A decent conversion of a Hitchcock classic to modern-day America. The leads are passable, the story is very predictable however, with an ending that ruins its one shot of suspense big time. It's still a pretty good movie for teens and the like to watch, since the two lead stars are obviously attractive and their relationship strengthens as the film goes on. It's a typical standard thriller, but it has enough humor and the use of technology is used very well, so it's probably worth a view.
Coxxie M

this one scared my mom so much she called me screaming. yea that being said it was still no masterpiece