“Disturbia” follows Kale (Shia LaBeouf), a high school student who is placed on house arrest after assaulting his teacher. Cooped up at home and with tons of free time on his hands, Kale starts spying on his neighbors, including his crush, Ashley (Sarah Roemer). After they form a bond, the two begin to realize that Kale’s new neighbor Robert (David Morse) might be a serial killer, leading them to dark, disturbing discoveries. In addition to LaBeouf, the film features “The Matrix” star Carrie-Anne Moss as Kale’s mom. The film was notably co-written by Christopher Landon, who went on to pen and direct several contemporary horror films like “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky.”
While many might wonder what happened to LaBeouf’s star power and dominance over Hollywood blockbusters, “Disturbia” is a great example of the actor shining in a small, relatively grounded project. The film was produced on a minimal $20 million budget but became a major hit for LaBeouf at a critical point in his career. Prior to “Disturbia,” LaBeouf was mainly known for supporting roles in blockbusters like “I, Robot” and his various Disney projects, which included the kid-friendly sitcom “Even Stevens.”
Unfortunately, “Disturbia” isn’t streaming on Netflix in the U.S., but fans can also watch it on Paramount+. Don’t have Paramount+ but still want to see the actor in a more dramatic role? At the time of writing, Netflix is giving one of LaBeouf’s best movies a second life.
