The Good Neighbor (2016)

A pair of mischievous high school kids create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting elderly neighbor while keeping his every reaction under surveillance. A series of coincidences leads to tragedy.

Director:

Kasra Farahani

Writers:

Mark Bianculli, Jeff Richard

Stars:

James Caan, Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Caan	...	Harold Grainey
Logan Miller	...	Ethan
Keir Gilchrist	...	Sean
Laura Innes	...	Caroline
Edwin Hodge	...	Officer Palmer
Bailey Noble	...	Carly
Lili Reinhart	...	Ashley
Anne Dudek	...	Elise
Mindy Sterling	...	Mae
William Charles Mitchell	...	Judge (as William C. Mitchell)
Dean Cameron	...	Defense Attorney
Nik Dodani	...	Sanjay
Luke Spencer Roberts	...	Ted Spiegelman
Ted King	...	Sean's Father
Billy Khoury	...	Neighbor

Storyline

Harbouring negative feelings of their cantankerous neighbour and cryptic hermit, Harold Grainey, the bored tech-savvy best friends, Ethan and Sean, decide to play a trick on him, under the guise of a psychological social experiment. Thrilled with the idea of becoming the next YouTube sensation, the boys embark on an audacious project to convince the man that his dark and vacant house is haunted and record his unmodified reaction with their advanced computer setup. Now, the stage seems set for the ultimate "Haunting Project". However, who is truly the good neighbour living across the street?

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Plot Keywords:

teenage prankster | fake ghost | hidden camera | prank | twist ending | 

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Taglines:

You never know who's watching.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival under the title "The Waiting", which was changed once Vertical Entertainment bought the distribution rights.

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Goofs

Although the experiment began on 9/19, 9/23 is described as "Day Six."

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Quotes

Harold Grainey: [as barking dog runs to fallen trash can] Get out of here! Get out of here, you half-breed.
[dog growls]
Harold Grainey: Shut up!
[as owner catches up]
Harold Grainey: Get him out of here!
Neighbor: Hey, come on - what's the problem here, man?
Harold Grainey: What's the problem? Well, the problem is that your dog is pissing a mess on my property. Let him piss on your property, okay?
Neighbor: [to still-barking dog] Come on, easy, easy...
Harold Grainey: Maybe I should teach him a lesson. Keep that son of a bitch on a leash, okay? Because the next time, if it happens again, I'm going to ...
[...]

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Connections

References Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

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Soundtracks

Ritual Union
Performed by Little Dragon
Written by Yukimi Nagano, Fredrik Wallin, Erik Bodin & Håkan Wirenstrand (as Hakan Wirenstrand)
Courtesy of Peacefrog Holdings, LTD

User Reviews

Surprisingly good and hats off to another great James Caan performance

I had pretty low expectations coming into this film. It had a 6.6 rating and wreaked of a legend of an actor just picking up another paycheck on his way out. Gladly, it was none of that.

I guess I've just been burned by DeNiro lately and the lame flicks he continues to pile up in his golden years, and even James Caan has been in some bad ones, but Caan killed it in this one and created yet another memorable role.

The film was well done and very suspenseful but even more than that it will appeal to all generations. The new social media craze driven teens, the struggling adult split family scenarios, and the classic elderly struggles and nostalgic themes.

Hats off to a brilliant production and to Caan the legend. This one is definitely worth the watch. Oh, and BobbyD, take a lesson from your Godfather buddy and stop already with the crappy films.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 2017 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Waiting

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$90,573

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anonymous Content, Ball & Chain Productions, Star Thrower Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1