Good Neighbors Reviews

Quirky. Different. Definitely not the same ole script here, that's what I really liked about it. Something different for a change!! Very refreshing--dark, dark with a hint of comedy. This is a thriller, but not in any usual way. Nasty good fun. I will definitely check out more from this director, Jacob Tierney (actor turned director). He directed The Trotsky (also starring Jay Baruchel), and I really enjoyed that one, as well. I do believe this man has some talent...

Spencer: Why do you think you're so interested in this stuff?

"You never know who's living right next door."

Good Neighbors is not the best of suspense thrillers. For one, it lacks suspense for 90 percent of the runtime. The other thing is that it can't decide whether to be too subtle or too gruesome. So it goes for a subtle blandness for the first part of the movie and then begins to throw some pretty morbid stuff at the viewer as it goes. I wasn't expecting some of the graphic violence this film showed halfway through. Violence isn't something that phases me as a moviegoer; it's just that this had a feel of a subtle film, not an in your face one.

The story takes place in Canada in the midst of many killings at the hand of some serial killer. Victor moves into an apartment where he meets Louise and Spencer. Louise has a weird dependence on her cats and Spencer is wheelchair bound. The three have dinner and become friends to a certain extent. Then a bunch of crap happens that we aren't suppose to expect, but we kind of do anyway.

It's not badly made. It looks pretty good and the cast isn't too bad. Nothing about the movie screams terrible, but nothing about it stands out to the point where I'd want to ever watch it again, or would even recommend to anyone to watch once. It's a decent enough effort though.

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman, Emily Hampshire, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Diane D'Aquila, Xavier Dolan, Clara Furey, Kaniehtiio Horn, Gary Farmer, Jacob Tierney, Pat Kiely

Director: Jacob Tierney

Summary: In an apartment complex nestled in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood, everyone is nervous with a serial killer on the loose. Meanwhile, waitress Louise (Emily Hampshire) and widower Spencer (Scott Speedman) bond with new resident Victor (Jay Baruchel), which could prove dangerous. Staying alive may well mean figuring out who to trust. Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) writes and directs this mystery thriller.

My Thoughts: "The movie is a quirky thriller. The characters are very odd and strange all in their own respective ways. There is no surprise in the film, it kind of gives itself away. Louise's obsession with the cats is crossing the line of creepy in this odd thriller. Although I enjoyed the weirdness of the film, I do wish it played out differently. I know the ending is suppose to leave you wondering and thinking, but I would have liked to see more."

On several movie site I visit, there had been a buzz about an independent Canadian murder mystery film, that was supposed to be quite a thriller with big twist at the end. It sounded like the perfect movie for me and I couldn't wait to see it! Good Neighbors is about an apartment building in Canada that is getting a new tenant named Victor (Jay Baruchel). Victor immediately sees that something isn't right about the new place and soon learns that everyone is on edge because of a serial killer on the loose. A serial killer that I was able to identify ten minutes into the movie. How in the world can anyone, much less a movie fan, call this a thriller with a twist in the end? The killer was obvious from the very beginning and I'm willing to bet the average fourth grader would agree. As for the notion that this is a thriller? Come on, a thriller is supposed to have you on the edge of your seat, not falling asleep in it! The story was slow, sloppy, and predictable, but what about the acting. I generally like Jay Baruchel, but he is a mess in this film. Baruchel is way out of his element here and would probably do best sticking to Apatow comedies. The only bright spot in the film is Emily Hampshire, she's been around a while, but has never been in anything big. Hampshire was terrific and is really the only interesting character in this film. Good Neighbors is a huge disappointment and anyone who tells you otherwise can't be as big a movie fan as they proclaim to be. I can deal with slow moving, I can live with some boring parts here and there, but a painfully predictable story with very below average performances is a recipe for disaster.

Good Neighbors convinces the viewer that they have the plot figured out, then finds a unique way to completely turn that plot on itself. If Hitchcock would have ever made a film completely stacked full of McGuffins, this would have been it. Scott Speedman and Emily Hampshire have a comfortable presence on-screen and take this film from potentially campy to intriguing and bitter.

Twisted, evil, great - These are the best words to describe this movie. It won't be a movie that everyone will enjoy, but I think the casting was spot on and the story was deliciously quirky.

When I watch a movie about a serial killer, I want to be entertained. Maybe occasionally shocked and appalled. What I do not want, is to feel like I'm sitting in some pretentious art house watching someone's desperate attempt to make a statement. That's what this movie feels like. It doesn't do the genre justice, and even though I really like Jay Baruchel, I wish I hadn't sat through all of this.

no words for this one. none. Oh, someone dies at the end...

Lots of original and suspenseful setups. Each time a let down. Could have been much better. Weirdly French Canadian to the point of seeming European.

There are a number of boring moments, and quite a few annoying moments thanks to Jay Baruchel's insufferable character, but the fantastic moments mostly balance those out. Twisted and subtly darkly humorous, Good Neighbors is a uniquely entertaining film.

all over the place thriller...with not many thrills.

Ominous and eccentric...this Canadian Jacob Tierney spine-chiller always keeps you guessing and teaches you a very important lesson - never piss off the cat lady.

an interest yet disturbing movie of good and evil

Boring with little else to say about it.

Quirky characters make for a fun trip down psycho neighborville, it's more fun to watch their quirks than it is to focus on the horror aspects.

one twist I could see a mile off but the real twist would come later on. very dark concept and one that works for the most part thanks to believable performances. the finale is a little weak but overall this was an interesting film, its a shame they don't make films like this more often

Many former reviews have criticized "Good Neighbors" of lacking in tension build and amped up excitement but for me that was what made this film stand out in a positive way. I liked the way it also focused on the characters, often in horror we are presented with a slash by slash kill list of people we rarely get a chance to understand or empathize with but this film crosses genres and experiments with black humor, intrigue, human connectivity as well as the grotesque. The film is not perfect but it's in my opinion it's also far from being a flop. It has many qualities which make it endearing and if anything the slow lead up to the action only aids the shift in focus from waiting for the next empty thrill to the unravelling of protagonists the audience is actually interested in.

If there is some kind of behaviour analysis on place, that's my kind of movie! So, I loved this one, with its quirky humorous situations and the whole CSI stuff, definitely my kind of movie.

Who cares, right? They're just cats.

A group of neighbors in a small apartment complex aren't thrilled with their situations. The girl on the top floor hates the girl on the bottom floor because she has too many cats. The man on the second floor is faking being a paraplegic and secretly sneaks out at night and kills and rapes people. The new guy wants to fit in and be a do gooder but always screws things up. Something crazy is bound to happen with this cast of misfits.

"Was she raped?"
"She was treated poorly."

Jacob Tierney, director of Twist and The Trotsky, delivers Good Neighbors. The storyline for this movie is very interesting and takes a wonderful twist at the end that is fascinating and well delivered. The characters are well written and well delivered and the cast delivers solid performances. The cast includes Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman, and Emily Hampshire.

"Should I be concerned with my safety?"
"A woman your age should always be concerned with your safety. It's a nasty world."

I caught this picture while flicking through the channels and decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the vastness of the characters and the plot twists that kept the film fascinating. There were some aspects that were predictable but there were definitely some twists that made the ultimate conclusion fulfilling. I recommend seeing this underrated picture.

"She drinks so much."
"Clearly."

Grade: B-/B

"good neighbors" is about as demented as a suspense thriller can get. the film benefits greatly from jay baruchel and scott speedman, who are perfectly cast in their roles. it's an entertaining flick, but suffers from an abrupt ending that felt a little unresolved, at least between baruchel and emily hampshire's characters.