October 22 2006
Next Door
A guy’s girlfriend leaves him, and another pretty woman catches his eye. It turns out she lives next door, and needs help moving something heavy. He obliges, though it seems curious that she would want a large cabinet blocking the front door. Especially since he’s still inside. The young lady shares the apartment with another woman who may or may not be her sister, and may or may not be somewhat schizophrenic. They seem to know all about their heart-broken neighbor, claiming to hear everything he does through the thin walls. Strangely, he can’t recall ever hearing a peep coming from their side. Stranger still is the psychological game they play, alternatively flirting and fighting with him. He gets worked up like a trapped animal, becoming lost and disoriented in their messy labyrinth of dark halls, locked doors, and familiar rooms. The poor guy really suffers at the hands of the two hot girls, but he turns less sympathetic as more of his personality and past are revealed. The producers created a nice disturbing story, where the set design gradually becomes as fearsome as the characters. They wisely made it a short and sweet 75 minutes, just long enough to explore the sinister mystery. It’s exciting, but probably not the best date movie.
