Samuel L. Jackson is creepy, folks.  I'm telling you.  Now I love the guy, I look forward to his movies, and I've been salivating for months knowing this movie was going to come out, because I wanted to watch and review it, but I've gotta tell you... Samuel L. Jackson freaks me out.  I wouldn't want to be his neighbor.  He always seems like he's such a cool guy in his interviews, but I'd be afraid of him pulling an Abel Turner (his character in this movie) and tormenting and torturing me until I went insane.  Somehow, even before I saw this movie, I had that image in my head, that picture of this character that seems like the perfect guy...he cares about his kids, he prays every morning, and he always stops to talk to his neighbors...but underneath that calm facade there's this sinister undercurrent, that glint in his eyes that tells me somehow, sometime, when I least expect it, he's going to hack off one of my limbs and make me choke to death on my own blood.

The genius of this film is that it seems the role was tailor made for Samuel L. Jackson.  Somehow the filmmakers knew they couldn't get any other actor to play the role quite as well as Jackson does.  It takes a great amount of balance. 

The movie starts with a young couple moving to what seems like an idyllic neighborhood where the neighborhood watch consists of one guy, their next door neighbor, who also happens to be a cop.  They respect him at first, he seems like a likable enough guy, and he's just out to be helpful, right?  Slowly, they come to realize that his actions are more sinister.  He likes to have control over what he considers his property, and he considers the neighborhood his property, and he'll fight to keep things in his neighborhood running the way he thinks they should.  And he'll use force if necessary.  One misstep, one infraction, and you get on Abel Turner's bad side, and then god help you from there, because he will do everything in his power to drive you out of his neighborhood.  And in this movie, "his power" extends pretty far.

The lengths to which Abel Turner will go to scare people out of his neighborhood are pretty scary.  In his defense, the new couple (the Mattson's) are pretty bad neighbors...who likes to skinny dip in their backyard pool when they know their neighbors can see?  That's kind of sleazy.  And who plays loud ass music in their car at night when other people could be sleeping?  The whole time this was happening I was biting my nails, thinking "Aw hell, now you pissed him off...your arms are getting chopped off ANY minute now."  The rule of civilization is that it works because we all pretty much agree to abide by certain rules.  If my neighbors decided to start smashing my stuff or they planted drugs on my balcony right before we had an inspection, I would be fucked.  Now they haven't done anything like that, but what if they did?  Don't tell me you've never considered it.  After you see this movie, trust me, you'll consider it even more.

What if those people closest to you (in proximity at least) decided to use whatever power and authority they might have to royally fuck with you and ruin your life, and what if you couldn't do anything about it because those people had all the respect and power and you had none?  That premise carries this movie pretty far.  every time I was tempted to say "There's no way that would happen, he would get caught if he did that," my mind nagged me with the question "But what if?"  Thereafter, I decided never to talk to anyone or leave my room ever again.  It's safer that way.  This movie doesn't need special effects to freak you out.  It just needs Samuel L. Jackson.  He's a walking, breathing special effect, and he carries this film with his presence and performance.  See it and be reminded that even little, everyday things can freak you out.

This movie needs little other than a cool premise (that we're all afraid of but try not to think about) and a great actor to carry it to the "must see movies of fall 2008" list.  Sure, it's a little far fetched (or is it?!?!?) but the nagging "what ifs" it raises will keep you up for many nights to come.