STALKED BY MY NEIGHBOUR

US, 2015, 90 minutes, Colour.
Amy Pietz, Kelcie Stranahan, Katrina Norman, Grant Harvey, Ethan Erickson, Kelly Packard, Dorien Wilson.
Directed by Douglas Campbell.

Stalked by my Neighbour is something of a routine murder mystery and investigation but entertaining in itself.

Jodi is a young high school student, rather carefree, communicating with her mother by Skype and suddenly there is an intruder and she is assaulted and raped, her mother watching and calling the police – and the audience finding that the police had shot the intruder. They then move to Santa Clarita.

Jodi has an expensive camera, likes taking pictures, photographs the neighbours without their permission – setting up her way of investigating when the murder occurs, always with pictures. The neighbour across the street is welcoming, along with her niece, but soon the neighbour is brutally murdered. Jodi suspects a man working at home whom the neighbour clashed with and mentions this to the police, especially after he takes her camera because she was photographing him.

Clearly it is not going to be as simple as that. Halfway through, audiences may well suspect the niece, and the screenplay then does reveal that she is in link with another neighbour, planning the murder of her aunt, wary of Jodi and her suspicions, setting of a man up by hiding the murder weapon.

There is a climax in the woods, involving Jodi and her mother, and overcoming the niece – and happy ending.

1. A brief and entertaining murder mystery and investigation for the wide audience?

2. California settings, city apartments, Santa Clarita, the streets and the suburbs, homes? Clubs? The woods? The musical score?

3. The title, audience expectations – as to who the stalker would be, from whose point of view?

4. Jodi, bright, at home, communicating with her mother at work, going to the door, the violent man, the vicious attack, and the later flashbacks and remembering his face, her mother watching, calling the police? Later information that the man had been shot by the police? The effect on Jodi, on her mother?

5. Their moving house, and to Santa Clarita, moving in, Jodi watching the neighbours, Lisa and Kristen, Nick and his working from his garage, Ted and his wife leaving? The background for the suspects in the murder case?

6. Jodi, her camera, the range of photos of the neighbours, their interactions? Without permission? Invading privacy? Stalking?

7. Lisa, friendly, the visit, the cookies, introducing Kristen and explaining her parents being dead, the friendly meal?

8. Lisa, wealthy, her work, the clash with Ted and urging him away from Kristen? Her clash with Nick, his work, complaining to the police? The set-up for suspects?

9. Jodi, with the camera, seeing Lisa, seeing the hooded figure downstairs, hurrying over, warning Lisa, the search of the house? Lisa having a bath – and the murderer emerging from hiding in the car in the garage? Her murder?

10. The police, the investigations, Jodi and her antagonism towards Nick after his stealing the camera, phoning her, returning it, coming to the door? Her voicing her suspicions, telling the police about the camera? Setting up the police and her mother not believing her readily?

11. Taking Kristen in, caring for her? Audience suspicions about her?

12. Jodi following In Nick, going to the club, his protecting her from police and ID check, his explanation about his job, his crush on her? His not having an
alibi?

13. Audience seeing Kristen and Ted, the relationship, and doing the killing, Kristen the mastermind? Jodi following them out into the woods, unable to see what they were doing? Kristen, her shrewdness, Ted and his putting the murder weapon in Nick’s house, Nick’s father arriving, the police, the arrest?

14. Nick in jail, Jodi taking her mother to verify his speaking the truth, her wariness about believing?

15. Kristen, warning Ted in the house, seeing Nick and Jodi kissing, setting Nick up?

16. Jodi confined to the house, leaving, with the camera, going into the house, photographing Kristen and Ted, the sexual relationship, Kristen shooting Ted? Kristen taking Jodi in the car, her mother seeing it, following?

17. In the woods, the scuffle, Kristen forcing Jodi to dig her grave, her mother following, the gun, her being wounded, the scuffle, the mother hitting Kristen with the shovel?

18. The detective believing Jodi, Nick’s release, the happy ending?

19. The Nancy Drew Detective kind of story, with the girl who cried Wolf?