Disturbia - Could've been worse.

Remake - the one word that usually induces a cringe in veteran film enthusiasts. However, fortunately for “Disturbia” director D.J. Caruso, Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” was a long enough time ago for the remake status to be hardly applicable in the Box Office.

The plot is archetypical. Troubled boy under house arrest, spying on the neighbors (including an apparently stereotypical girl next door type), uncovers a deadly secret and pursues it in reckless teenaged abandon.

However, the weak plotline is studded with some unexpected gems in the form of some entertaining acting.

Sarah Roemer as the apparent ‘girl next door’, Ashley, is genuine and surprisingly complex. Keep an eye out for a glimpse of reality in her character’s tenuous hold on popularity. David Morse (think the nasty cop in House MD) plays a superbly creepy Mr. Turner, a personification of every serial killer book you’ve ever read. And Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity from the Matrix) is every struggling, despairing, loving mother rolled into one.

It’s undeniable that Shia LeBeouf is the next ‘it boy’ for teen flicks, but whether or not he can act is another story. Kale was one dimensional, and LeBeouf needs better roles than that to be able to determine his actual skill.

Yes, the plotline has been done time and time again. Yes, this is a teen-freak-flick. But to be honest, it was fun to watch. It wasn’t overtly gory, and you didn’t have to think too much. Disturbia is an escapist flick, it'll get you away from the outside world just fine – don’t go in expecting miracles and deep inspiration. It is a good movie (but not great...) and if anything, its lack of pretensions is refreshing.