Curiosity Thrills

Behold the power of Shia LaBeouf: The former Disney child star and new F.O.S. – that’s Friend of Spielberg – carried Disturbia to the top of the box office over the weekend.

Not bad for a star whose ability to open a movie was rather unproven (Holes and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle don’t count). Not bad at all.

I have to say, though, I was surprised to see Disturbia hit the way it did. I would’ve told you about it last week, but to be honest I was kind of otherwise occupied. So, I’ll keep this short and sweet: This take on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window for the teen set is perfectly fine for a lazy, rainy afternoon.

It is a bit longer than it should be – the buildup seems to take forever – but the suspense, once it sets in, is quite thrilling.

LaBeouf plays Kale, a good boy gone kind of bad following a freak traffic accident that claimed the life of his father. (By the way, when I say “freak traffic accident” I mean it – you’ll want to close your eyes.) A year later, sullen and troubled, Kale finds himself under a court-ordered sentence of house arrest.

When the walls of his house begin to close in on him, he becomes a voyeur, his interests turning outside the windows of his suburban home toward those of his neighbors, one of whom Kale suspects is a dangerous serial killer.

Are his concerns merely the product of cabin fever, or is good ol’ next-door neighbor a cold-blooded murderer?

Visit Disturbia and find out. And then take a look-see at this SNL intimate moment with John Mayer and Jessica Simpson to take the edge off – it’s a good laugh.

My Rating ***

Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.