Underrated Action Thriller With Marvel And DC Stars Being Lost To New Audiences
Sometimes it feels as though the entire history of film is available to view with a single swipe of the thumb thanks to streaming services such as Netflix, Max, Disney+, and others. However, some films, such as 2008’s Lakeview Terrace, have been mysteriously left out of streaming syndication, making them entirely inaccessible to any potential new audiences. In the case of Lakeview Terrace specifically, this is a real shame, as the film was already criminally underrated upon release.
Lakeview Terrace Has Star Power
For those wondering, Lakeview Terrace is an action thriller starring Marvel’s Samuel L. Jackson, Aquaman‘s Patrick Wilson, and Scandal star Kerry Washington. The film, which is loosely based on a true story, follows a newlywed couple named Chris and Lisa Mattson as they settle down in their newfound California home.
While the happy, honeymooning couple begin to struggle with the normal pressures of marriage, such as integrating their shared space and deciding whether to have children, they begin facing an escalating series of bizarre harassment from their neighbor, LAPD officer Abel Turner.
Trouble With Neighbors
At first, Abel engages the couple in casual conversation, which carries severely hostile undertones just beneath the surface. Without outright saying it, the officer makes it clear that he disapproves of Mattson’s interracial marriage.
Before long, Abel begins blasting his floodlights through the couples’ bedroom window, throwing a fit over their landscaping choices, and even sending a hired thug into their space with the intention of destroying all of their stuff. I won’t spoil the whole narrative of Lakeview Terrace here, but suffice it to say the film takes a few additional wild twists and turns as it builds toward a thrilling climax.
For Fans Of Training Day
I originally caught Lakeview Terrace in theaters when it was released, and I recall likening the film to Training Day for its examination of racial discrimination, crooked policing, and steady escalation of stakes.
While I personally thought the film was terrific, critics gave it a lukewarm reaction, resulting in a middling 45 percent Rotten Tomatoes score today. While there’s no way of knowing the exact reason why this thriller isn’t available to stream through any major service, this critical response may still leave a sour taste in the mouths of the film’s owners, leaving them to fear that nobody is interested in it anymore.
At The Box Office
Still, Lakeview Terrace managed okay at the box office, grossing over $44 million globally against an estimated production budget of just $20 million. These may not be Marvel Cinematic Universe numbers, but it’s surely enough to justify pushing the film on new audiences around the globe… right?
Not Streaming
REVIEW SCORE
Personally, I’d love to see Lakeview Terrace hit streaming, if only to give me an excuse to show it to all of my friends who missed its initial theatrical run. The film was produced and distributed by Sony Pictures, so it shouldn’t be impossible for the studio to cut a deal with Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video.
For now, it seems that the only hope of catching this classic Samuel L. Jackson performance is to find a DVD copy somewhere, though even that may prove difficult as the film is over 15 years old.
