Blockbuster Psychological Thriller Remake Of Alfred Hitchcock Classic Leaving Prime, Stream Now
The 2007 film Disturbia is one that might have slipped off your radar, but this homage to the Alfred Hitchcock suspense film Rear Window is a must-see for any fan of intrigue.
A solid plotline full of twists combine with the perfect balance of thrills and comedic relief to create a nailbiter so intense that you’ll grip the arms of your chair. But if you’re interested and have a subscription to Prime, you’ve got until the end of the month to stream it for free.
Disturbia On Streaming
Disturbia reimagines the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear Window (1954), transforming the middle-aged protagonist played decades ago by Jimmy Stewart into an angsty teen portrayed by Shia LeBeouf.
Stewart’s Jeff Jeffries is recuperating in a wheelchair after an accident and passes the time spying on his neighbors. LeBeouf’s Kale Brecht is housebound as well, though his confinement is the result of house arrest after assaulting a teacher.
Spying On Neighbors
Kale uses binoculars to gain an insight on his neighbors like only a house-bound voyeur could.
The two objects of his attention are the attractive new neighbor girl who moved in next door and the odd man who lives on the other side of the house that Kale shares with his recently widowed mother.
Like Rear Window, Disturbia playfully and comically follows the spying of its lead character until Kale witnesses what he believes is the man next door committing a murder.
Uncovering The Mystery
Kale finds that getting someone to believe his story is impossible, his mother and best friend attributing the murderous accusations to Kale going a bit stir-crazy.
Disturbia takes some intense turns from that point as Kale breaks the conditions of his house arrest to investigate, using his friend Ronnie and new love interest Ashley to aid him.
They work together to uncover the whereabouts of a serial killer that has long-eluded law enforcement, believing that the man next door is responsible for the deaths of multiple women across the country.
Reimagining Rear Window
While it’s considered by many to be an outright remake of a Hitchcock film (Psycho ’98, anyone?), Disturbia’s reimagination of Rear Window in a modern setting, seen from the point of view of a troubled teenage boy, seemed to buck that school of thought.
The film portrays its lead character in a way that makes him relatable to our memories of teenage angst as Kale captures the empathy of the audience.
An Excellent Thriller
The film takes the plot of an original work, deconstructs it, and erects a modern masterpiece in its place.
A hard-hitting soundtrack, young and hip actors, well-timed jump scares, and enough suspense to likely make it an entry worthy of Hitchcock’s stamp of approval if he were still alive.
Disturbia is one of the better thrillers of the 2000s and has remained a timeless film nearly twenty years later.
Rating Disturbia
REVIEW SCORE
It’s a solid 4.0/5.0-star film, buoyed by LeBeouf‘s believable portrayal of Kale, the chilling screen skills of David Morse, and the innovative spin on what many consider to be Hitchcock’s greatest work.
Disturbia co-stars Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Viola Davis, and Aaron Yoo. The film was one of the first directed by D. J. Caruso, who later went on to serve in that role for the thriller The Disappointments Room and the action sequel XXX: Return of Xander Cage.
Watch Disturbia while you can on Prime.
