5. Troy & Sons (The Neighbor)
There's a sheer ruthlessness to the neighbor at the center of The
Neighbor. Like Mick Taylor of Wolf Creek infamy, Troy is a rural man
who is evil to his core. Drawing his two sons into his insidious plans, Troy is
the type of neighbor who may come across as a homely outdoorsman, but he is
nothing short of villainous. His small business consisting of holding victims
for ransom and killing everyone in his way is the type of work
only someone in a Podunk town could get away with.
4. Jon & Teresa (The Ones Below)
If things feel too perfect, chances are they are. This is
exactly the conclusion Kate and to an extent her husband, Justin, come to
after quickly befriending and defriending their new downstairs neighbors. While
slightly off, the pairs quickly have a budding friendship. That however,
crashes after a by-chance accident that quickly unravels into hell for Kate.
Disorienting in their passive aggressiveness and the steps they take to ruin
the lives of Kate and Justin, the pregnant Kate quickly recognizes the darkness
behind Jon and Teresa. While things at one point grow rosier, the unsettling
tension never leaves this film. This is a pair you won’t see coming, but will
certainly regret accepting into your lives.
3. Mr. Jones (Mr. Jones)
Artsy and cultured neighbors can be a double-edged sword. Sure
they bring a certain lighthearted airiness to the area, but they can also spell
trouble thanks to their free spirits and intrusive projects. This happens to be
a complete and total understatement in the case of Mr. Jones. A secretive
artist in the vein of Banksy, Mr. Jones is a welcome unknown for new homeowners
Scott and Penny. After they decide to research the recluse and film it, they
soon get more than they bargained for. Mr. Jones isn't a neighbor any of us are
bound to come across any day, but his scary sculptures paired with the mystery
surrounding him make him less than a satisfying prospect for any potential
homeowners.
2. Jerry Dandrige (Fright Night)
Though more comical than most neighbor horror stories, the core
of the 70's film, Fright Night, is terrifying. Deceptively charming to
everyone other than Charley Brewster, Jerry Dandrige is a new neighbor \you'll
literally be praying to leave. While he may need to be invited in and presents
himself as cordial, he's truly anything but. Using trickery and deceit, Jerry
captures the hearts of those around him and then transforms them into similar
monstrous creatures. His ability to feign normalcy in the eyes of everyone by
Charley is a testament to his charms. Jerry is scary, at the very least,
because of his ability to charm.
1. Robert Turner (Disturbia)
One of the most iconic thrillers for 2000s teenagers is the Shia
LaBeouf-starring film, Disturbia. Featuring a neighbor with enough
skeletons to fill more than a closet, Disturbia is a frightening
reminder that despite rosy appearances, you don't really know your neighbors.
Sure they may be friendly and relatively normal, but underneath that veil could
be something far more sinister. Like the human Jerry Dandrige, Robert Turner
comes across as the charming man next door. Older and dressed in semiformal
clothes in nearly every appearance, he seems like your typical
suburbanite. But, after some deep sleuthing, it becomes clear that he has a
secrets and a preparedness to kill. Disturbia isn't a straight up horror
film, but it gives viewers one of the scariest neighbor nightmare stories in
the film industry.
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