It’s pretty depressing to be a horror buff these days. It constantly seems like I’ve run through the entire horror collection at every video store I’ve been to—even my beloved Boîte Noire—and every time I hear that a good movie’s come out, I rush to the cinema only to be bummed at how bad it actually is. With the notable exception of 28 Days Later, it’s been a while since a horror movie really knocked me out.

Make no mistake, Disturbia is not a knockout punch, but it turned out to be better made and a lot more fun than anticipated. (Nothing like low expectations to make what is essentially a B-movie into a better experience.) Here, Shia LaBeouf (okay, there’s no way that’s his real name) plays a lad who punches his Spanish teacher and is put under house arrest as a result. Stuck at home, his boredom leads him to spy on neighbours with his binoculars. As movie logic dictates, he’s soon convinced that the creepy guy next door is in fact a serial killer. You guessed it—this is Rear Window remade for the teen set. And much of it is pretty dopey. But director D.J. Caruso handles the suspense and action sequences well, and there are enough moments of humour to carry Disturbia through. This is no I Saw What You Did, but it’s still worth a rental. Most disturbing to me is the dearth of truly disturbing movies there are to see these days.

by MATTHEW HAYS