Middling teen rehash of Rear Window starts off surprisingly well with an effective car crash scene, but eventually loses its way while heading into generic thriller territory.
A likable Shia LaBeouf stars as Kale, expelled from school and sentenced to house arrest for socking his Spanish teacher.
Mild comedy ensues, the boredom of his situation faithfully re-enacted as Kale tests the limits of his ankle bracelet and lusts after new neighbor Ashley (Sarah Roemer).
Soon, he begins to suspect neighbor Mr. Turner (David Morse) is a serial killer, and instead of notifying the police, enlists the aid of Ashley and friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) to solve the crime.
Director D. J. Caruso directs with efficiency, but the screenplay lets him down; this is the kind of situation that can only happen in the movies (and has, many, many times before), and we all know where things are headed.
There´s never any doubt about Mr. Turner´s guilt, and the characters´ actions are never believable: specifically, the reluctance to go to the police, even after Turner harasses and assaults Ashley in a parking garage.
Carrie-Ann Moss is fine as Kale´s mother, though one wishes she´d take on some more significant roles after years of playing housewife/mother types.
In all, a watchable but strictly minor league thriller that only suffers in comparison to the Hitchcock film it emulates.
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