Good Neighbours

Good Neighbors (2010)

A Canadian indie thriller with spritely charm. Yup! The cast is small, the concept cute and macabre (both), and the filming and editing first rate. This is the latest installment of what is a new genre, mostly American, where a bright, lighthearted tone keeps a relatively serious theme tipped on edge the whole time.

It's almost as if the filmmakers are tired of high drama movies, from true horror films to action adventure to even the moving dramas that win the awards. It's also, though, a product of budget, and making the most of small resources. "Good Neighbors" is in many ways a perfect small movie.

Imagine the most common of situations--a small apartment building where two main characters each have an apartment. One is a disgruntled young woman with two sweet cats, her only real friends. The other is a charming handsome man in a wheelchair, with a cynical and mean interior. Then a newcomer arrives, all sweetness and kindness.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is in the neighborhood, and the woman in particular follows the story for her own self-preservation. Because it's a tightly constructed movie you suspect that one of the three has something to do with the killings, but maybe not, as a fourth apartment dweller makes her viciousness known. This is the turning point, and things get complicated in a funny/tragic way in the last quarter of the film.

As convincing as all these characters are (most of the time), there are few holes here and there. One of them is the series of crimes, and the minimal presence of the police (and rather unconvincing tough detective who looks better than he sounds for the part). In a way we're not supposed to believe or care about the crimes themselves, but in another way, the crimes become, increasingly, the whole movie. Thank goodness for the director that the Montreal police are apparently pretty relaxed about gathering evidence.

Never mind the nitpicking, however. If you like the "indie" feel of movies like "Timer" or even "Juno" (which is better overall), this one will really take you in. It's a "delight" in the best sense of that word.

"A woman your age should always be concerned for her safety, it's a nasty world." Victor (Baruchel) has just moved to Montreal in the middle of a killing spree by a serial killer. He meets his new neighbors Louise and Spencer (Speedman) and does his best to become friends with them. Soon secrets are revealed. I will start by saying that I did enjoy this movie. The big problem with it is that it was very flat all the way through. Never got bad enough to stop watching and trying to figure out the killer made you want to keep watching till the end. The movie never really got to an exciting point where you are totally engrossed in it. I can't really say anything bad about this because I did like it, but I can't say anything good about it because it was slow and drawn out with very little action. Overall, not a bad movie so worth a watch. Not a good movie so don't rush to watch it though. I give it a B-.

Would I watch again? - I don't think so.

*Also try - Perfect Host

I saw this film recently partly based on the other review above. I did not agree with the general thrust of that review and so I've contributed one based on my own impressions. As a whodunit the culprit was fairly obvious taking away any possibility of plot tension. The general lack of action, drama (or blood) was actually disappointing.

The film did not hit any low notes to be fair and was watchable enough but it failed to hit any high ones (for me) either.It was well professionally acted and with workmanlike direction, the scenes were well shot including the slightly unpleasant one alluded to in the previous review but the only emotional connect I felt with the film was some twinges of embarrassment at a couple of points. Sunday evening filler.

This is not a bad movie. Yet it got rated pretty low. And there is a reason for that. This movie won't be for everyone. Good Neighbours is pretty conventional. The characters however are not. They are socially awkward which does not help the movie. Especially when you see these characters do things that make them even more unlikable. Talk about disturbing. My problem with it was that it was too much one sided. We people are much more complicated and it would have added some depth to the characters and the movie if they balanced the characters at least a bit.So are you wasting your time with this movie. Not immediately. I would reserve it for a rainy day or a Sunday when nothing else is on. This is not a thriller,nor is it a black comedy. It is in between. For animal lovers,there are three extremely cute cats that almost steal the show.

It's October 1995 Montreal. There is a serial killer out on the loose. Victor (Jay Baruchel) is moving into a 4th floor walkup. His neighbours are cat lady Louise (Emily Hampshire) and wheelchair bound Spencer (Scott Speedman). Louise is working at a local Chinese restaurant where waitress Johanne (Kaniehtiio Horn) is killed one night in the streets. Victor walks Louise home from the restaurant every night. Spencer turns out to be able to walk and somebody poisons Louise's cat.

Director Jacob Tierney is able to get an offbeat eerie vibe sort of like 'Shallow Grave' except nothing so cool and thrilling. It's a serial killer thriller that lives on its atmosphere for the most part. Baruchel is quirky cute. Hampshire is a quirky adoring cat lady. Speedman is good as Spencer hiding a secret. The three of them form a very compelling trio. The movie does need more tension. It would probably help to condense the timeline. It's good creepy throughout with an underlining low key dark humor.