The Boy Next Door (film)
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The Boy Next Door is a 2015 American erotic thriller film directed by Rob Cohen and written by Barbara Curry. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, and Ian Nelson, with John Corbett and Kristin Chenoweth playing supporting roles. The film follows a 19-year-old man who, after having a one-night stand with his high school teacher, develops a dangerous obsession with her.
Barbara Curry, a former criminal lawyer, wrote the screenplay for the film inspired from her life's experiences. Blumhouse Productions financed and produced the film, which was filmed for 23 days in Los Angeles and other locations in California at the end of 2013.
The film was released in the United States on January 23, 2015, by Universal Pictures. The Boy Next Door received generally negative reviews from film critics, who felt that it promised "campy thrills" but did not deliver, however the film grossed $53.4 million against a $4 million budget making it a box office success. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 28, 2015.
Plot
Claire Peterson separates from her husband Garrett, after he was caught cheating with his secretary. Her colleague and best friend Vicky Lansing urges Claire to divorce. 19-year-old Noah Sandborn moves in next door to help his uncle, who uses a wheelchair. They learn that Noah is now an orphan following a fatal car accident in his family the previous year. Noah befriends Kevin, Claire's teenage son, and begins attending his school, where Claire teaches Classics. Noah is drawn to Claire, expressing love for Homer's Iliad. With Kevin and Garrett away on a fishing trip, Noah catches Claire watching him change clothes through her window.
Claire goes on a miserable double date with Vicky and her boyfriend Ethan, and his ill-mannered friend Benny. With Kevin still away, Noah calls Claire over to help him cook. She ends up having dinner with him, during which he unashamedly flirts with her. When Claire is about to leave, Noah stops her and continues flirting with her. He proceeds to undress her to her bra and underwear and kiss her all over her body. Claire is seduced, and they have passionate sex. The following morning, Claire wakes up and tells Noah that she regrets their night together, causing him to punch a wall in rage. The school year begins, with Noah joining Claire's class after hacking into her computer, making it appear as if she had requested this. Noah manipulates Kevin into hating his father, causing him to lash out at Garrett. Later, Kevin overexerts himself at gym class and goes into shock; Noah saves his life by injecting him with Kevin's EpiPen. Claire receives flowers from Noah, and she confronts him about it. After Noah witnesses Claire and Garrett together at home after going on a date, he has flashbacks of him and Claire having sex, as he escalates his obsession with her.
After an incident where Noah — in defense of Kevin — slams a bully's head into a locker repeatedly, Vicky, who is vice principal at the school, discovers that Noah was kicked out of his previous school for disorderly conduct. After Noah insults her, she expels him. Kevin prepares himself for his date with Allie at the fall fling, and the two compliment each other when they meet. Claire goes to investigate a leak in the boys' bathroom, where she sees the words "I fucked Claire Peterson" written on the wall before Noah emerges. He attempts to rape her, but she fends him off and demands that he stay away from her and Kevin, but Noah is unwilling to do so, under the delusional belief that Claire is willing to be with him. That same night, however, Noah has sex with Allie from her bedroom window as Claire watches. The following day, Noah leaves a printer running in Claire's classroom, with pictures of them sleeping together scattered everywhere. Later, when Garrett's car brakes fail to work, he and Kevin are nearly involved in an accident. That evening, Claire finds Noah with Garrett and Kevin in her drawing room. Noah blackmails Claire, telling her that he has a video of them having sex, which he will relinquish to her if she continues sleeping with him. She refuses, and has Vicky lure Noah away from his house so she can break in and delete their sex tape. While there, she finds nude pictures of herself all over the walls and on his laptop; she also finds instructions on how to tamper with the brakes of Garrett's car and Noah's parents' car. With the help of Ethan's detective friend, she learns the truth about the car accident in Noah's family.
Noah binds and gags Vicky with duct tape and uses a recording of her voice to lure Claire to her house. When Claire arrives, she discovers Vicky dead. A horrified Claire contacts the police, but runs into Noah again. She accuses him of killing his parents, and he clarifies that his mother killed herself after his father cheated on her and he retaliated by cutting the brakes of his father's car, killing him and his mistress. Noah takes Claire to a barn house where he has tied up Garrett and Kevin, and delusively explains that killing them will help him and Claire to start a new life together. Noah pours kerosene around the barn, causing it to ignite in flames. Garrett frees himself and attempts to choke Noah with a rope, prompting Noah to shoot him in the chest. Claire finally destroys Noah's delusional love for her by stabbing his eye with Kevin's EpiPen. Claire then fights with an enraged Noah, who knocks her down and prepares to shoot her, only for Kevin to free himself and also fight with Noah. When Noah attempts to shoot Kevin, Claire distracts him and pulls a lever that drops an engine on Noah, ultimately killing him. Claire and Kevin then help a wounded Garrett exit the burning barn house as police and paramedics arrive.
Cast
- Jennifer Lopez as Claire Peterson
- Ryan Guzman as Noah Sandborn
- Ian Nelson as Kevin Peterson
- John Corbett as Garrett Peterson
- Kristin Chenoweth as Vicky Lansing
- Lexi Atkins as Allie Callahan
- Hill Harper as Principal Edward Warren
- Travis Schuldt as Ethan
- Brian Mahoney as Cooper
- Adam Hicks as Jason Zimmer
- François Chau as Detective Johnny Chou
- Bailey Chase as Benny
