The Boy Next Door is a 2015 erotic thriller film that tells a story of an older woman name Claire Peterson played by Jennifer Lopez separated from her unfaithful husband who has been cheating on her when he was caught sleeping with his secretary in his office. She falls for a 19-year old boy named Noah played by Ryan Guzman who moved next door and became friends with her son Kevin, but by the time Claire had an affair with a younger man, it soon turned into a dangerous game that Claire had to face as her biggest mistake. I found the movie exciting but scary at the same time because it was an amusing experience when you are attracted to somebody who caught your attention, and you feel the temptation rising your soul but the person you like, turns out to be a complete psychopath. Nowadays it’s about falling for someone based on their looks, their charm, and their body. The director Rob Cohen wanted to make a film in both romance and thriller because he wanted to show the audience, including girls, that love could do all kinds of crazy things when it comes to sexual intention.
Rob Cohen wanted to create a film mixed with romance and thriller that could make the audience look terrified and shocked. He turns a feminine character-driven dramatic story into a roller-coaster ride of a movie that’s equal parts scary, disturbing, exciting and erotic in his new psychological thriller. He wanted to film an insane guy that leads to regular romance, to deadly affairs because there are girls out there who aren’t aware of that not all guys have the same level of love.
When I watched the movie, it makes me feel like I want to go back into the old-fashioned romance, where guys are buying girls some flowers, candy, jewelry, and writing a love poem, and love letters. I miss those old times when guys take their girls out to eat, taking them to a theater, or another romance place. It’s even better than a psycho man taking you out of force, and that compares to Noah because he was on a mission to make Claire his and he doesn’t care what he does, he will do anything to keep her. During the film, you see movie scenes full of violence, the temptation that you cannot let it go, and doing what you’re doing that wasn’t right which leads you into deep trouble. Of course, it’s tough to go back after what you’ve done. Deadly affairs could be the worst mistake you would ever make, and that’s what happens when you play with fire until you burn down to the ground.
I find it very disgusting when somebody's spouse has been cheating. I mean, what happened to those old times when spouses loved each other so much and staying faithful for so long until they grew old and died? Let's compare to Claire. She had a cheating husband, and she was feeling heartbroken. Ever since she got separated from her husband, she was feeling vulnerable, insecure, and she’s having trust issues. When she meets a younger man name, Noah, he made her feel desire, happy, joyful, excited, and alive until one day; she ends up seeing his true colors. It turns out Noah can be a psychotic killer or a criminal. Sleeping around with a crazy person, that could lead to deadly affairs.
The scene that terrifies me was the last scene where Noah was forcing Claire to make her choice whether she wants to live with him or dies with her family, but she wants nothing from him. Noah was so pissed off and angry that he told Claire that if he can’t have her, no one will. So he ends up pouring kerosene around the barn, causing it to ignite in flames but Claire pulls a lever that drops an engine on Noah’s head, killing him. This scene is an example of how you cannot force somebody to love you, and those deadly affairs could make you pay the price for your action.
Kathleen
ReplyDeleteWhen I first watched this movie I was surprised in the change of Claire’s character throughout the movie. She went from being a divorce, introverted mother to an outgoing, sexually driven woman. But her role in the end was my favorite, after she had gone through all of Noah’s abuse and manipulation she was able to overcome and realize whom she was to fight back. I thought that her change of character could really be related to victims of abuse who escape relationships that are so damaging, and it gives hope that they too can overcome.
Hi Kendra,
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was a shell shocker. Typically, most women tend to be the crazy obsessive ones. What surprised me was the gender flip of the circumstances. Typically it is an older male and a younger female in these scenarios. I think one of the greatest aspect of this film was that it broke the safety net of the audience. One of the reasons it was a thriller is because it instilled enough suspense and eeriness in the audience that we almost related to J-Lo's character. The unsettling feeling that this could happen and that there are some people such as former partners that mimic some of the characteristics of Ryan Guzman's character to a lesser extent.
-Aly Hernandez
This movie definitely had me on the edge of my seat! I did not expect the unexpected. I never thought Jlo could give into such a thing by sleeping with a much younger boy. However, this movie shows how mistakes happen, life happens and she is only human. I really liked how she built the courage to get away from her abuser and not simply give in out of fear for her son, her job and others. Women and men alike should never stay in an abuse relationship.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the twist that leads to the thrilling side of the movie. I feel it's almost a trope for these as you called them 'feminine character-driven dramatic story' to have the woman leave the man she is with at the beginning of the movie due to abuse, boredom, etc and get with someone else that makes them happier, the end. It took a well used story and turned it into the dark side of what could happen when you hastily get connected without understanding them or having a healthy relationship.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen this movie and I wouldn't be so quick to throw out the factor of it being a thriller. If anything I think it is more a thriller than it is a mystery. The entire movie we know who is causing the misfortunes. The suspense of what he'll do or where he'll pop up next is what gives the movie its thrill factor. I think the scary female role has been overdone so when the main character is a brutish, quiet, menacing man it gives it more of a fear factor. Playing off of your "feminine character-driven dramatic story" view, I think woman would find this movie a lot more scary than men since the antagonist has characteristics that girls are told to watch out for in men to keep themselves out of danger. Its the classic "wolf in sheep's skin". Sweet like candy shell to begin with and arsenic-laced bitter center.
ReplyDelete-Dianesa Sanon