Synopsis for
Duplex (2003) More at IMDbPro »

Alex Rose and Nancy Kendricks are a young, professional, New York couple in search of their dream home. When they finally find the perfect Brooklyn brownstone they are giddy with anticipation. The duplex is a dream come true, complete with multiple fireplaces, except for one thing: Mrs. Connelly, the cranky old lady who lives on the rent-controlled top floor. Assuming she is elderly and ill, they take the apartment, but their hopes are quickly dashed when they realize that Mrs. Connelly is an energetic senior who enjoys watching her television at top volume day in and day out and rehearsing in a brass band. As a writer, Alex is attempting to finish his novel against a looming deadline. However, he is interrupted daily by Mrs. Connelly's numerous demands and requests and what begins as a nuisance quickly escalates into an all-out war. When Nancy loses her job and the pair are trapped at home together with Mrs. Connelly, their rage turns to homicidal fantasy as they plot ways to get rid of their no-good neighbor. Alex and Nancy decide to hire Chick, a hitman, to kill her. However, his asking price for doing the hit is $US25,000. Unable to initially come up with the money, Alex approaches Coop to ask for a loan, but is rebuffed. Desperate and needing the money in two days, they sell almost every possession they own to pay Chick who will do the hit on Christmas Eve. Chick fails to kill Mrs. Connelly when she defends herself with her speargun by shooting him in the shoulder.

Alex and Nancy decide to evict themselves, but find out that the old woman has died right when they leave. They contemplate their strange encounters, while it is revealed that the landlord of the duplex and the cop who distrusts the couple are the old woman's sons, and the woman (who is not dead) does this all the time, harassing young couples and faking their mother's death and collecting a commission.