Movie Review: "The Good Neighbor" (2022)
The Good Neighbor Movie Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Released by Screen Media
Directed by Stephan Rick
Written by Silja Clemens, Ross Partridge, and Stephan Rick
2022, 97 minutes, Rated R
Released on June 17th, 2022
Starring:
Luke Kleintank as David
Jonathan Rhys Myers as Robert
Ieva Florence as Janine
Eloise Smith as Vanessa
Bruce Davison as Grant
Review:
The Good Neighbor marks the first time in a while that I’ve chosen to review a flick simply because of the cast (despite a bit of a generic trailer). Call me old (fashioned), but I’m a damn sucker for Bruce Davison (X-Men series). From the 1971 version of Willard all the way to Apt Pupil and even a criminally underrated turn in Dahmer as Lionel Dahmer, the man is a comforting face that gives you faith in a film. Luke Kleintank (Bones) won me over as Joe Blake in Man in the High Castle, and Jonathan Rhys Myers (The Tudors) stole every scene in Vikings as the thoroughly badass Bishop Heahmund. The combination of leads sounded too good to pass up. Throw in the tried and true psycho-thriller formula, and all the ingredients are there for a winner.
David (Luke Kleintank) is on the mend from a nasty breakup and a professional tailspin. He takes a job in Riga, Latvia working for an old friend, Grant (Bruce Davison), in an attempt to rediscover his writing mojo and heal his heart. He moves into Grant’s “other” house and soon meets his quirky neighbor, Robert (Jonathan Rhys Myers). The two hit it off, though, and are soon partying at the local bar when David meets a beautiful and passionate woman named Janine (Ieva Florence). He gets her number, and that’s great…but he hits and kills the poor woman in a drunk-driving accident on an isolated back road later that night! It’s a shocking turn, but Robert takes over and keeps the two clear of any blame. As David’s guilt eats him alive, it becomes apparent is unhealthily obsessed with David. Assigned to cover the story for work, he meets Janine’s sister…and things get truly dangerous.
The Good Neighbor delivers on the performances I was anticipating, and the cinematography cleanly captures a fantastic location. It moves at a pretty brisk pace with some nuanced writing, even if there is some scattershot characterization (Vanessa) that could’ve been a bit more fleshed out. There’s a heavy amount of B-story going on, and it occasionally drags the film down for short spurts.
It’s only occasional, though, and Jonathan Rhys Myers carries this film and does his best Norman Bates impersonation in a couple of inspired scenes that made me cringe a bit; I mean, what kind of sick bastard licks the end of his model paintbrush while he’s painting?! Have you no decency?
Seriously, though- the man brings it in The Good Neighbor. As a kid who spent an inordinate amount of time unsupervised, I appreciated Robert’s backstory the most. His crazy has a flavor, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down (and I hope you are). His weirdly intimate sense of menace is the driving force of the film, and his titular snapping scene is kind of a joy to behold. This might be the performance that comes in second (of course) behind the Bishop, now that I think of it.
Luke Kleintank is a damn fine counter. You don’t always feel for him. You shouldn’t. He does a fine job of owning that vibe, however, and by the end of it all you do come around to him. He actually makes the tragedy more genuinely tragic. And that man turns on the tears like nobody’s business! Seriously.
The Good Neighbor doesn’t break new ground in the psycho-thriller genre, but ultimately it doesn’t have to. It’s a high quality film that understands the nuances of the genre and how to use them, utilizing a first-rate cast and sharp cinematography. You could even say it’s the kind of film you can enjoy with your neighbor…if you don’t mind shit getting deeply uncomfortable.
Grade:
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
