Summary
The 2007 neo-noir psychological thrillerDisturbia, starring Shia LaBeouf, has strong similarities to an Alfred Hitchcock classic, raising questions about it being a remake or a modern version of it. Directed by D. J. Caruso and with a script by Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth,Disturbiastarred Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roemer, David Morse, and Carrie-Anne Moss.Disturbiawas well-received by critics and was a box-office success, and it found more success upon its arrival on Netflix, quickly climbing to the streaming giant’s global top 10.
Disturbiafollows Kale Brecht (LaBeouf), who is sentenced to three months of house arrest. Kale can’t go beyond the limits of his house, and growing bored with being alone at home, he starts watching his neighbors with binoculars, and one, named Robert Turner, catches his attention as he matches the description of a serial killer at large. Kale, with the help of his crush, Ashley, and his best friend, Ronnie, starts spying on Turner to confirm his suspicions, but it soon takes a dark turn.Disturbiais very similar to one of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics, understandably raising questions about it possibly being a remake.
20 Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked
Alfred Hitchcock directed over 50 feature-length movies, and his best thrillers are still just as suspenseful and terrifying decades later.
Disturbia Isn’t A Remake Of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, But Was Heavily Inspired By It
Despite Their Obvious Similarities, Disturbia Is An Original Story
InRear Window, Jeff spends his days watching his neighbors and begins to suspect that a man named Lars Thorwald killed his wife.
Disturbiahas clear similarities to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thrillerRear Window, but it isn’t a remake of it nor a modern version. Based on the 1952 short storyIt Had To Be Murder, by Cornell Woolrich,Rear Windowfollows Jeff (James Stewart), a professional photographer who, after breaking his leg, is forced to spend his day at home in a wheelchair. As the rear window in his apartment looks out onto a courtyard and other apartments, Jeff spends his days watching his neighbors and begins to suspect that a man named Lars Thorwald killed his wife.
Caruso said he and LaBeouf had watchedRear Windowto prepare for the movie, but it was just for inspiration.
Similarly to Kale inDisturbia, James counted on the help of his girlfriend Lisa, his nurse Stella, and his detective friend Tom Doyle to investigate the strange events happening over at Thorwald’s home.Rear Windowis widely considered one of Hitchcock’s best works and one of the greatest movies ever made, and as such, it has been greatly influential. AlthoughDisturbiaisn’t aRear Windowremake, Caruso toldBiggiein 2007 that he and LaBeouf had watchedRear Windowto prepare for the movie, but it was just for inspiration.
Landon shared that the idea forDisturbiacame to him while listening to a story about Martha Stewart being on house arrest.
In an interview withThe Horror Chick, Landon shared that the idea forDisturbiacame to him while listening to a story about Martha Stewart being on house arrest. Kale dealing with grief after the death of his father was a personal addition by Landon, who went through the same when he lost his father, Michael Landon, when he was 16 years old. In a separate interview withThe Denver Post, Landon added that after hearing about Stewart’s house arrest, he started thinking about what he would do if he was on house arrest, and that’s how he came up withDisturbia.
Other Movies That Inspired 2017’s Disturbia
Disturbia Was Inspired By Different Thrillers
Caruso mentioned three other movies he and LaBeouf watched to prepare forDisturbia:Straw Dogs,The Conversation, andSay Anything.
In the above-mentioned interview withBiggie, Caruso mentioned three other movies he and LaBeouf watched to prepare forDisturbia:Straw Dogs,The Conversation, andSay Anything.Straw Dogsfollows astrophysicist David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) who moves to Britain with his wife, where they are bullied and taken advantage of by the locals. When David decides to take a stand, everything takes a violent turn.The Conversation, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, follows Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), a surveillance expert who suspects a couple he secretly recorded is about to be murdered by his client.
Say Anything, on the other hand, is a rom-com by Cameron Crowe that follows Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), who falls for the class valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye), but they face the prejudice of those around them as they come from different social groups.Disturbia’sRear Windowinspiration is a lot clearer than the other movies, but they came together to make an interesting and engaging thriller.
Sources:Biggie,The Horror Chick,The Denver Post.
Disturbia
Disturbia follows teenager Kale Brecht, played by Shia LaBeouf, who is placed under house arrest and begins to suspect that his neighbor is a serial killer. Directed by D.J. Caruso, the film blends elements of thriller and suspense as Kale uses his confinement to scrutinize the increasingly suspicious activities of those around him. Carrie-Anne Moss and David Morse co-star in this modern reimagining of a suburban nightmare.
