Disturbia DVD Review

Disturbia may not win any awards for originality, but what it lacks there it makes up for in smart, sarcastic dialogue and great “teen” acting. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, who plays Kale Brecht, a 17 year old who hits a rough patch after his father dies, causing him to withdraw and act out in school.

One day, he takes things to far with a teacher and finds himself under house arrest for three months during summer vacation. Kale is then fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet and instructed that a GPS monitoring device will immediately notify police if he strays more than 100 feet from home base.

His mom, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, goes off to work every day while Kale lazes about the house playing video games and cranking music at full volume. When mom decides to take away all the fun amenities that are passing Kale’s time, he turns to peeping as a source of entertainment.

Kale watched the comings and goings of his neighborhood, noticing, among other things, marital affairs, as well as his new, beautiful neighbor Ashley (played by Sarah Roemer), whose family has just moved in next door.

One night, Kale hears about a missing girl on a news report, as well as an eyewitness report describing the suspect’s car, which just so happens to be the same make and model as his very own neighbor’s car.

Kale starts watching his neighbor, Mr. Turner (played by David Morse), closely, and when he brings a woman home one night, Kale witnesses some rough play through the open curtains.

When Kale and his best friend, Ronnie (played by Aaron Yoo), befriend Ashley, the trio try to uncover the truth about their creepy neighbor.

Screenwriters Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth do a nice job of creating funny moments amidst the tension in Disturbia, and director D.J. Caruso (The Salton Sea, Taking Lives) borrows plot points from the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window. Luckily, it works.

Disturbia is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with audio in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX. The DVD includes audio tracks in French and Spanish, with subtitles available in English, French and Spanish.

Extras include a commentary track with Caruso, LaBeouf and Roemer; a making of featurette with interviews of cast and crew; outtakes; four deleted scenes; a music video of This World Fair’s “Don’t Make Me Wait”; a Serial Pursuit/Pop Up Quiz; and a photo gallery of stills from the film.

While Disturbia doesn’t break new ground, it is a family-friendly teen thriller that’s well acted and provides humorous dialogue that will entertain teens, ‘tweens and parents alike, which is a bit of a rarity these days.