THE BOY NEXT DOOR is what happens when two Lifetime movies try to one-up each other until they implode in a Big Bang of middle-aged female pandering. Sexualized young man lusting after an older woman? Check. Relatable mother just trying to juggle raising a kid, teaching her English class, and repairing her marriage? Check. All basic fears embodied in one creepy character? Check. While the film may be lackluster in terms of writing, acting, character development, dialogue, plot, editing, directing, realism, and a myriad of other cinematic aspects, it knows its audience, and that is something I can at least respect.
If you weren’t sure the plot of FATAL ATTRACTION needed another spinoff on the concept, THE BOY NEXT DOOR was made just in case. The story follows Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez) as she and her husband work to repair their marriage after his infidelity and she raises her prone-to-allergy son Kevin (Ian Nelson). Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman) is the new next door neighbor who has moved to town to donate bone marrow to his grand uncle. He is also great as repairing garages, discussing classic literature with Claire, mentoring Kevin with his love life, and just being laughably perfect in every facet. But after one drunken mistake in which Claire gives in to her lust, she finds out he may be more frightening than she could have ever imagined.
For the first third of the film, the stalker-psychotic portion isn’t even introduced as we watch Ryan Guzman be perfect. The idea that he is supposed to be uncomfortably perfect is never proposed though. The filmmakers would have broadcasted it with thirty seconds of lead in music as it does with most scenes. His existence for the first portion of the story is entirely sexual, and lines like “Dude, you gotta read The Iliad. It’s my favorite” are supposed to be taken seriously (Though if you were hoping like me that the incessant repetition of classic literature would lead to any O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? style of allegory then you can get your hopes down now). The dialogue never really steps up and the characters still act nonsensically, but the movie does become more entertaining as it progresses into its thriller portions. There are never any surprises, but it’s fun to watch the blatant manipulation and scare tactics.
This movie is pandering down to the last credit. Whether it’s the uncomfortably long sex scene, or the scare tactic of manipulating her son away from her, the film is directed at a specific group of people. I doubt even that group would find this to be fantastic, but if enough resonates it could lead to thrills. And in the end that’s really the most THE BOY NEXT DOOR can ask for.
