The Boy Next Door (2015) Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Ian Nelson, John Corbett, Kristin Chenoweth, Lexi Atkins, Hill Harper, Jack Wallace, Adam Hicks Movie Review

The Boy Next Door (2015)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Jennifer Lopez in The Boy Next Door (2015)

One Night, a Ruined Lifetime

Having kicked her husband, Garrett (John Corbett - A Smile as Big as the Moon), out after discovering he was unfaithful during business trips, Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez - Parker) is busy dividing her time between being a high-school teacher and raising her son, Kevin (Ian Nelson). But she finds herself becoming fascinated by Noah (Ryan Guzman - Step Up All In) a handsome teen who has moved in next door to look after his sick uncle. Whilst Noah strikes up a friendship with Kevin he doesn't shy away from flirting with Claire who whilst initially resistant ends up succumbing to a night of passion. Trouble is that when she decides to bring an end to things before it gets started she discovers that Noah has a violent, obsessive side which puts her and those close to her in serious danger.

Have you ever thought why certain stories make it to the big screen whilst others tend to stay in the realm of being made for TV entertainment, I reckon it is because certain audiences feel more comfortable with certain storylines and don't have huge expectations for them. It is why "The Boy Next Door" struggles because this storyline of a mum, separated from her husband, having a one night stand with a hunky teen next door fits the Lifetime movie mold rather than big screen entertainment profile. In fact as big screen entertainment it is pretty shallow stuff and a waste of some of the actor's talents whilst full of dodgy decision making and bad choices.

Ryan Guzman in The Boy Next Door (2015)

As such what we get in "The Boy Next Door" is on one hand Claire dealing with issues of guilt over her secret one night stand, then we have Noah turning the screw and making things tough for her behind the scenes and we also having Noah getting in to the head of young Kevin. It is all pretty generic stuff and nothing out of the ordinary with Jennifer Lopez delivering hot older woman whilst Ryan Guzman does hot younger man with a dark, dangerous, obsessive side. I suppose in many ways it is the styling which isn't generic but the use of dark montages does little to make this the thrilling movie it so clearly hoped to be.

What this all boils down to is that if you are a fan of Lifetime movies you might enjoy "The Boy Next Door" as it has all the ingredients and bad decisions of a Lifetime movie. But as such if you watched this expecting something more, something in the least bit thrilling then chances are you are going to be disappointed.


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