In DreamWorks’ newest
thriller, “Disturbia,” even
the smallest suburban
town has its darkest hidden
secrets. Kale (Shia
LeBeouf) had the life every
teenager dreams of: endless
days of eating junk food, playing
video games, watching TV,
and being in complete control.
An outgoing, sociable young
man, Kale lives in a small suburban
town with his tight-knit
and happy family. After the
death of his father, which he
feels partly responsible for, Kale
becomes sullen and withdrawn.
When his teacher mention’s
Kale’s dad, Kale loses his cool
and reacts violently.
Actress Carrie-Ann Moss
portrays Kale’s mother Julie,
who works two jobs to keep
what is left of the family
together but struggles constantly
with her son. Without the
help of his mother, Kale would
have found himself behind bars.
But Kale has now lost something
else: his freedom. Acourtordered
house arrest leaves
Kale confined with nothing but
boredom and his imagination.
Making the best of his spacially-
challenged world, Kale’s
interests turn outside his suburban
home and towards the lives
of his neighbors. With surveillance
equipment, Kale begins
spying on his neighbors, specifically,
an attractive blonde
named Ashley (Sarah Roemer),
who soon enough begins to
notice Kale.
After Kale hears about the
mystery of a serial killer on the
news, Kale’s neighbor Robert
Turner (David Morse) appears
strikingly suspicious. After putting
clues together with Turner’s
secrets and the help of Ashley
and his best friend Ronnie
(Aaron Yu), they begin the perilous
adventure to discover
Turner’s disturbing truth hidden
within his house.
LeBouf’s raw-energy performance
as Kale showcases his
dramatic evolution from Disney
Channels’ Even Stevens to the
chilling big screen. For one of
his first major roles, LeBouf
was suspenseful and vigorously
captivating. Morse, an actor
with an honorable career, once
again plays an appealing character,
portraying a spine-thrilling
Turner. Morse’s natural talent,
alongside LeBouf’s engaging
performance, makes for terrific
chemistry within the movie.
In some way or another, all
thrillers seem to have the same
plot or scheme. However, the
simplicity in “Disturbia”
branches away from the usual
clichés as the plot comes alive
with new twists. And with the
sounds of deep violins and eyecovering
scenes (although not
too gruesome), “Disturbia” is
guaranteed to have you jumping
out of your seats and anticipating
what will happen next.
Adding a mixture of humor and
fun with slick suspense and a
well-selected cast, “Disturbia”
proves to be a teen thriller that is
definitely more than you expect.
