DescriptionLadiesandgentlemen,steprightupandpreparetobesmasheddownhardbecausewe?reabouttounveilatwistedlittledittythatgoesfurtherdowntheshockfreewaythanyoucouldeverwantafilmtogo.Behold:NEIGHBOR?afilmthatcauseditsowneditortovomit!Anunnamedgirl(AmericaOlivo,lastseenintheFRIDAYTHE13THremake)wandersthroughaposhsuburbanneighbourhood,breakingintohomesand...stayingawhile.Usuallyforjustacoupleofdays,duringwhichperiodshepassesthetimetorturingandslaughteringanyonewhohappenedtobehomewhenshegotthere.She?snotaveryniceperson?whichisn?ttosaythatsheisn?tpersonable.Shecanactuallyberathercharmingwhensheneedstobe.Downrightmanipulative,sometimes.EnterDon(ChristianCampbell),ayoungbachelorwholivesaloneinaratherlargehouseonastreetourgirlhappenstobeeyeing.She?sseenhimbeforeinabarandsheknowshe?sseenherback.Beforeheknowsit,Donfindshimselftiedupingirltrouble.Literallytiedup,andverymuchintrouble,thekindthatinvolvesbrokenbonesandpower-drilledtoes?forstarters.Don?sgotahugehousepartycomingupinafewdays.Thisgivesourgirlplentyoftimetostageapunishmentpartyofherown,andanyonewhohappenstodropbyunannouncedgetstojoininthefestivities.NEIGHBORisoneofthosefilmsthatwillhaveeventhemostjadedaudiencessquirmingandscreamingbythe30-minutemark.Ifyoucouldn?thandlethelastactofMiike?sAUDITION,thisisn?tthefilmforyou.Nearlytheentiresecondhalfisanastonishing,GrandGuignolseriesofextremesequencesthatseriouslypushtheenvelope?character-driven,mindyou,andnothingliketheso-called?tortureporn?wave,thisissmart,freakystuff.Writer\/directorRobertMasciantoniotoyswithhisaudiencethroughtemporalshiftsandvisualsleight-of-hand,thedistressinglyconvincingmake-upeffects,whichincludeseveralwe?veneverseendonebefore,further?sweetening?thedeal.Shot,ratherfittingly,ontheRedOnesystem,NEIGBORcleverlyflipsthegenderrolesofclassicexploitationcinemastaples,givingusalonewomanwhoterrorizesaseriesofmostlyveryfrightenedanddefenselessmen.Lovetheyneighbour?Dependsonwhereyourpainthresholdlies.Wecan?timaginefindinganastierfilmthisyear.Watchoutforaninspiredfour-minutesteadicamshotandanappearancebyJohnWatersvetMinkStole.—MitchDavis