THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR

US, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
James Caan, Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist, Laura Innes, Edwin Hodge.
Directed by Kasra Farahani

This is a film about two teenagers, good friends, a certain mutual dependence, one of whom has a project to film a man over a period of six weeks, interfere in his life, suggest that he is being haunted, to see the effect on him. Later in the film it is revealed that the boy has a resentment towards this man, associating him with the leaving of his father and his mother’s reaction. The other boy has a talent for IT, buying equipment, setting it up in the neighbour’s house, cameras, recordings, devices to suggest haunting.

The target of the project is the neighbour, Harold Grainey, played by James Caan, mostly observed during the film from the point of view of the boys.

As the project goes on, some of their girlfriends participate in the observation, a mother not knowing the exact detail of the experiment, one of the boys becomes more daring, the other more wary, leading to the daring boy going into the house, into the mysterious basement, and a confrontation with guns on the part of Mr Grainey and the boy, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

Inserted throughout the film are several court sequences, the boys accused of harm to Mr Grainey.

Overall, an odd kind of experience watching the two boys, their target, hearing their discussions – and then seeing the consequences, the finale of the film showing that the neighbour was a good man.

1. The title – initial irony, the clear meaning at the end?

2. The American city, homes, families, police? The ordinary background? The musical score?

3. The initial information about studies and the effect on people thinking they were being observed, small influences, the changing – and the revelation that nothing was done but the psychological effect on those being observed?

4. The teenagers, Ethan and Sean, as characters, their age, friendship, mutual dependence? Their plan? The execution? The consequences?

5. Inviting their girlfriends to be present, watching, the discussions? And the girls moving away from the boys after the court sequence?

6. The captions throughout the film, the terms and conditions of the project, the installation…? The effect of this kind of information and audience observing?

7. The equipment, going to the store, buying the gear, the video camera and the talking to camera? The nature of the project? The investigation, six weeks, a documentary, the intended audience? Working in the home – and the mother not aware of the details of the project?

8. The target, Harold Grainey, James Caan as the character? Seen from the point of view of the boys? Their explanation of his background? His age, living alone, their installing cameras in his house, audio surveillance? His staying at home, the mysterious going to the basement? Nodding off? Meals? Lights, fear, the policeman and the scream, not inviting him in?

9. The observations over the six weeks? Filming? The setups to disturb him, as if the house is being haunted? Noises, lights going on and off? The report to the police and the policeman arriving, not welcome inside the house?

10. The audience hostile to Mr Grainey?

11. The sudden insertion of the court sequences, the boys as defendants, the prosecutor, the interrogations, the mother as a witness, the boys giving testimony? The audience not knowing what happened to Mr Grainey?

12. Ethan, his background, his father leaving, the effect on him, resentment? The background of Mr Grainey having the conversation with his mother? Ethan’s hostile interpretation – and aggression towards Mr Grainey?

13. The audience seeing some flashbacks, Mr Grainey, the visit of the women, his wife? The later revelation of her cancer, his caring for her, the mementos in the basement, his sadness, living with this for 12 years? The witness in the court explaining how she was booking a place for him in a retirement home?

14. The boys, Ethan becoming more daring, Sean and his wariness? Ethan going into the house, into the basement, Sean observing? Mr Grainey, the gun, going to the basement, Ethan with a gun from his father’s box? Audience anticipating the shooting? The shock of Mr Grainey killing himself?

15. The sadness about Mr Grainey, a good man, his sadness, a good neighbour?

16. The judge, the comments on the boys, responsibility, being the occasion of a death and therefore guilt? The sentence? Community service? In the final image of the hostile crowd?