It seems that Netflix is attempting a sort of redemption in the eyes of their viewers after criticisms over the way the streamer handles true crime content have continued to come in droves after the premiere of Ryan Murphy’s new Monster anthology addition, Monster: The Ed Gein Story. Often accused of glamorizing these serial killers while simultaneously not considering the victims and their families, Netflix is apparently looking to right its true crime trajectory with its newest documentary, which is, surprisingly, holding onto a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and a top 3 spot on Netflix Global Movies chart for October 18th.
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The premise of The Perfect Neighbor is a straightforward one: A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws. The film both pulls in and repulses audiences in equal measure, taking a magnifying glass to issues of racism, gun violence, and the American legal system. One viewer went so far as to say, “This was chilling and absolutely devastating. Very difficult to watch.”
The Perfect Neighbor Tells A Story We Need To Hear
Filmed over the span of a few years and presented from a series of incidents recorded by police body cams, The Perfect Neighbor tells the story of the murder of Ajike “A.J.” Owens by Susan Lorincz, who shot Owens through a locked door with the claim that she was acting in self-defense. The act that Lorincz claimed she needed to defend herself against? Owens was knocking on her door after Lorincz had instigated an altercation with her children, claiming that they were bothering her. One of the most tragic elements? The children in question were just being children. “I think another layer that breaks my heart in this story is that these kids were just playing, enjoying each others company, being outside, being young. It is so hard to be a young person these days with screens and social media. These poor babies were just enjoying their youth. So innocent,” said one user on Reddit when discussing the excuses that Lorincz gave police as to why she kept antagonizing them.
Carla Hay from Culture Mix says about the film, “The documentary uses mostly police camera footage to tell the harrowing story of how lies from a hateful bigot can escalate into the killing of a defenseless person. It shows how important it is to seek justice when a perpetrator pretends to be a victim.” For Los Angeles Times, Robert Abele wrote that “while The Perfect Neighbor is, on the most visceral level, a documentary horror film built with police footage, it also reveals how a violent tragedy can be unwittingly manifested by unchecked grievance and a law that weaponizes white fear more than it guards anyone’s peace.” The takeaway? A well-made film that highlights injustice in a way that can feel hard, but necessary, to face.
What are your thoughts on The Perfect Neighbor? Let us know in the comments before you head over to the ComicBook forums to discuss it with other audience members.
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