THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

(The 2025 Sundance Film Festival ran January 23- February 2 in and around gorgeous Park City, UT. HtN has you covered for all the hottest titles like Matt Delman’s The Perfect Neighbor movie review. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)

What transpires in Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor will stay with you beyond an initial viewing. A story told almost entirely through body camera footage is edited brilliantly to elevate a deceptively simple concept to harrowing heights. Gandbhir, working with her editor Viridiana Lieberman, compiles a series of police visits in response to 911 calls from a disgruntled elderly white woman who complains about the (mostly black) neighbor kids playing on her lawn. As foreshadowed by the opening scene, the neighborhood bickering escalates to somebody losing their life. What the film ultimately investigates–although it isn’t even mentioned until the third act–is the “Stand Your Ground” law which in some deranged people’s minds equates to a license to kill.

If you look up the definition of a ‘Karen’ in the dictionary, you may find a picture of Susan Lorincz. She rents–not owns–a house in a Florida suburb filled with young families. The lot next to her house is an open flat field where the kids like to play football. The officers called to the scene show incredible poise and restraint, perhaps too much restraint given how easy they go on Susan. Gandbhir employs repetition of an officer walking up to her sad little concrete porch, surrounded by a white wooden fence, shining their bright flashlight and rapping on the sliding door. Occasionally there’s more urgency, such as when Susan is caught ramming the fence of an impound after her truck is towed. First she lies to the officer about it, then when it’s clear she got caught, she feigns how she was in fear for her life. This comes back into play later.

Gandbhir constructs her film like a prosecutor building a case.  She lets the evidence speak for itself. As other viewers have pointed out, there are no talking heads or narrator, only the 911 calls and the audio from the body cams and CCTV footage. The resulting effect is that of a video game. The first person point of view from the chest of an officer puts the audience in an authoritative position, and usually the officers are saying and doing the right thing, even without the use of a joystick. But this is a tough level, and Susan Lorincz is the evil boss who we must face over and over again. There is no cinematographer credited, but the unflattering, grainy footage adds to the overall effect.

The video game analogy may seem callous given the real-world consequences. Namely the murder of Ajike Owens, who leaves behind two young boys who feel guilty for falling into Susan’s trap. It’s unlikely they were taught about the “Stand Your Ground” law in school. But Susan looked it up, did her research, and concocted a plan that she thought was airtight. The final verdict is handed out during the credit sequence, which is a sign that the damage was already done. The mother’s death is irreversible, and whether Susan gets locked up for manslaughter or not, a beautiful tight-knit Florida community will never be the same. This is no Mr. Rogers, The Perfect Neighbor will shake you to your core.

– Matthew Delman (@ItsTheRealDel)

2025 Sundance Film Festival; Geeta Gandbhir; The Perfect Neighbor

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