Disturbia (PG-13)

Voyeuristic teen Rear Window update.

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Common Sense rates it
3
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Movie details
  • Studio: DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures
  • Directed By: D.J. Caruso
  • Cast: David Morse, Carrie-Anne Moss, Shia LaBeouf
  • Running Time: 105 minutes
  • Release Date: 04/12/2007
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 08/07/2007
  • Genre: Thriller
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this thriller will likely appeal to teens, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it's quite violent for a PG-13-rated film. In an early scene, the young hero sees his father killed in a car accident; later, he must explore a scary house in order to save his mother from a serial killer. There's also punching, stabbing, beating, strangling, and neck-breaking, as well as images of human and animal corpses in various states of decay. The main character catches glimpses of sexual activity through his binoculars -- a couple through a window, young boys watching porn on TV (breasts are visible), a teen girl getting undressed, etc.. Language includes frequent uses of "s--t," plus other profanity.

Families can talk about voyeurism. Has the rise of things like reality TV and user-generated online video made people accustomed to the idea of scrutinizing others for entertainment? What role does media -- or the lack thereof -- play in Kale's decision to observe his neighbors? Does the fact that he discovers a terrible criminal make up for the fact that he's spying? What are the movie's messages about connections and relationships between people in modern life? Families who've also seen Rear Window (the inspiration for this film) can compare the two movies. What's changed since the original was made?

Message

Social Behavior:

A traumatized boy punches his teacher. During house arrest, he spies on his neighbors; one is a serial murderer. A cop behaves unprofessionally. Mocking characterization of geeky "Asian" best friend.

Consumerism:

Visual and verbal references to iTunes, XBox, Skippy peanut butter, Hershey's chocolate syrup, HDNet, Red Bull, Mac powerbook, Us Weekly, iPod, Twinkies, OxyClean and Cascade detergents, Mayflower movers, Mustang car, Barnes & Noble, and band names (Afroman, Ramones, Led Zeppelin). Joke about Martha Stewart's house arrest.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Possible teen drinking at a party (kids carry plastic cups, but the content is unspecified).

Violence

Pushes the edge on PG-13 violence: Images include a harrowing car crash (son sees father killed), a boy punching his teacher in the face, a man using a knife to take off a woman's bra, fast-cut/close-up video camera footage suggesting Ronnie is being attacked, decaying dead bodies, a grisly deer head in a plastic bag, and human skulls and bones stored in a serial killer's house. Also, the hero breaks into a house with a bat and attacks the villain with garden shears (scenes are quite bloody), and the villain menaces a girl in her car, breaks a victim's neck, attacks another with a knife, and tapes and ties up a woman.

Sex

Repeated images of Ashley in underwear and bikini (boys watch her with binoculars); off-screen moaning sounds suggest Kale is masturbating (but he's really itching under his security ankle bracelet); young boys watch porn on TV (breasts visible); Kale refers to neighbor as "Betty Big Bangs" and watches sexual activities (kissing, undressing) through neighbors' windows; phrases include "growing bone," and "horny as s--t" open-mouthed kissing between hero and girlfriend; cell phone ring tone is "Me So Horny."

Language

Repeated uses of "s--t" (some with "bull"), in addition to other language -- "ass," "jackass," "d--k-hater," "bastard," "damn," "Jesus!," "sucks" -- and phrases ("What a retard!").

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Cynthia Fuchs

An update of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, DISTURBIA centers on angry teenager Kale (Carrie-Anne Moss) cuts off his XBox and iTunes access, leaving him to seek other entertainment -- namely, spying on his neighbors. "This is reality without the TV!" he says gleefully. He sees a man cheating on his wife, little boys watching porn on TV, and the odious Turner (David Morse). Intrigued by Turner's vintage Mustang (the same car spotted at the scene of a woman's disappearance) and dates (one woman appears to be terrified by a knife), Kale soon finds encouragement from his best friend, Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), and his new, attractive, and apparently lonely neighbor, Ashley (Sarah Roemer).

Is it any good?

3
Until it runs off its rails in the third act, Disturbia teeters between strangely mesmerizing and strangely clumsy. At its center is a worthy examination of voyeurism, which has pervaded current popular culture in the form of reality TV and Internet video diaries. Less admirable is a familiar serial-killer plot in which a monster menaces clueless women, including the hero's mother.

The plot lurches in order to get Kale into tight spots: First Ashley is wonderful, then she's disloyal and superficial; Ronnie is helpfully tech-savvy, then he's an idiot; a local cop assigned to monitor Kale is adversarial. Still, the camerawork is clever (recurring close-ups and bad framing approximate Kale's untrained eye), and Kale suffers from both over-stimulation and privilege. Increasingly distracted by the sheer number of ways he's found to watch the violence and sex unfolding before him -- computer screen, cell phone, video camera, binoculars, even his own eyes -- Kale is eventually unable to respond coherently, although by that time the plot has gone loopy, too. But even as the many possibilities for spying are speeded up and multiplied, the movie's focus on the consequences of voyeurism remains relevant and riveting.

Related Video

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Rear Window
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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 73 reviews.

5


Posted on 07/16/08 by skidoo 4001 Kid contributor, age 13

FINNALY

i'm so glad that the director of this made a good and prett D**n scary PG-13. The only iv'e seen so far is 1408 and maybe AvP Alien vs predator. But when i seen this i was pretty freaked out because of the dead bodies and all that crap.Content wise way too violent for young kids,too sexual for very little kids.my rating PG13 for intense terror and violence and language
4


Posted on 07/14/08 by swatty16 Kid contributor, age 16

This movie should have been rated 16+

This movie was only rated pg-13, but truthfully, I thought this movie should have been rated 16-17+. My aunt let her 6-7 yr. old watch this movie with her friend who might have been around 10 or 11. I do not recommend this movie for anyone under 15-16 years old. This movie was very freaky in the first part of the film, My cousin and her friend basically kept there heads under the blanket the whole movie. Has a lot of sextual scenes, that escpecially trigger the teenager mind. Has a lot of creepy/scary scenes. Has dead bodies, and if you get nightmares from watching these types of movies, I recommend you not watching, even for an adult this is a very creepy/scary movie. It was even scarier sense I watched this movie on a big projecter screen in my uncle & aunt's basement. If you get scared easily, you do not need to watch this film.
5


Posted on 07/08/08 by The_Best_Damn_Thing Kid contributor, age 12

4


Posted on 06/30/08 by vampireprince97 Kid contributor, age 10

5


Posted on 05/26/08 by jonny_macc Kid contributor, age 15

A must see!

really good. i watched it with my friends, first half of the movive was good, but the last 20 mins was AWESOME. we all laughed our heads off!! not scary but can be jumpy at some points
5


Posted on 05/25/08 by orenmerry Kid contributor, age 12

VERY GOOD MOVIE!!

This is one of my favorite movies. It is a little scary, but not bad at all. I was suppried becasue there was no blood, where there should be. If you like "lite scary" movies this is deffenety a movie for you. But I would not let kids under 11 see it, some scary parts.
4


Posted on 04/24/08 by boiisliikegiirls13 Kid contributor, age 13

FANTASTIC!

Wow, this was a great movie. I honestly don't think it was that disturbing and wasn't as scary as i thought it would be. It also was suspenseful and doesnt get tireing ti watch again. the first hour or so is not at all scary, more on the funny side. if you haven't seen this movie, SEE IT!
Age 13+
3


Posted on 03/04/08 by mmbell Adult contributor

5


Posted on 02/26/08 by luvthamovies Kid contributor, age 15

very cool for a suspenseful and pshycological thriller

ok this movie was the bomb and way better than when a stranger calls. leave it for kids 13 and up ;)
3

Posted on 02/04/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

Great

Good movie that kept me on my seat unlike others. A couple of gory scenes but is pretty clean. Whoever says that it is full of sex is wrong, just a snap shot of a girl in a bikini, like on a beach

See all 73 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 20 reviews.

Age 13+
3


Posted on 03/04/08 by mmbell Adult contributor

Age 13+
4

Posted on 10/30/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

pretty good movie for teenage

i really liked this movie! i dont think that teenage boys or younger should watch it because of the sexual things (guys get turned by stuff like that). its fine for most girls if you like gore and scary jump out at you things! i also think that it isnt a good movie for tweens or kids to watch because of the gore. i believe that if you permit children to watch stuff like that before theyre ready, they will be turned off to violence. they wont care about a person being murdered on the news anymore!
Age 17+
4


Posted on 10/15/07 by Movie Man Adult contributor

Worthy of Hitchcock Himself!

This gory creepfest will scare the pants off of kids and even some adults but highly entertain mature teens and adults. Shia LeBeuof is very good in this film. This movie is very scary and suspensful, but not too violent but creepy as Hell in the first hour or so, but after that is non-stop violent mayhem.
Age 13+
4


Posted on 10/13/07 by G3 Adult contributor

great movie

Age 17+
2

Posted on 08/24/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Well........

This movie was just ok. We won't let our 14 & 15 year olds see it. Too much sensuality and language. It was a little suspenseful at times but I've seen better. The acting was great and comical at times.
Age 13+
4


Posted on 08/19/07 by suenamee Adult contributor

A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!

omg. this was the best psychological thriller i have seen in YEARS!!! i would not recommend it to young ones. the violence is strong and in the movie, there are lots of dead bodies in it (hope i didn't spoil the movie). it would be highly disturbing for youth to see it. the youth i work with are 13-18 years of age and they watched it. they said it was good also. i would recommend to adults if you want a good psychological thriller, but avoid showing it to anyone under the age of 12.
Age 13+
4


Posted on 08/17/07 by DisneyFan Adult contributor

Great!

This movie just proves that a movie CAN be rated PG-13 and STILL be really creepy. The violence is on the upper end of the PG-13 scale--not because it is gory, but because of the situation around it. My husband and I are pretty liberal about what we let our 11 year old watch, but I wouldn't let him watch this for a couple years--I'd be very afraid that he would have nightmares about someone trying to hurt his family. I understand that a lot of kids have seen violence in movies, my son included, but I'm very careful about my son seeing things where, in your own home, you may be in peril. This situation is just a little too realistic. Still, this is a GREAT movie and I HIGHLY recommend it!
Age 13+
3

Posted on 08/12/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Age 11+
4


Posted on 08/11/07 by polimylove Adult contributor

Disturbing!

This movie definetly drew me in. i was impressed first of all, I think the actors and actresses did an amazing job and secondly i think the plot was very suspenseful.This movie was very good for a thrill. and i liked how it wasn't gorey and disgusting. it really made me want to keep watching it!
Age 11+
5


Posted on 08/10/07 by concernedmommy Adult contributor

Great Movie

Very exciting remake of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Good for anyone over 12
See all 20 adult reviews>

Kids Reviews

There are 53 reviews.

5


Posted on 07/16/08 by skidoo 4001 Kid contributor, age 13

FINNALY

i'm so glad that the director of this made a good and prett D**n scary PG-13. The only iv'e seen so far is 1408 and maybe AvP Alien vs predator. But when i seen this i was pretty freaked out because of the dead bodies and all that crap.Content wise way too violent for young kids,too sexual for very little kids.my rating PG13 for intense terror and violence and language
4


Posted on 07/14/08 by swatty16 Kid contributor, age 16

This movie should have been rated 16+

This movie was only rated pg-13, but truthfully, I thought this movie should have been rated 16-17+. My aunt let her 6-7 yr. old watch this movie with her friend who might have been around 10 or 11. I do not recommend this movie for anyone under 15-16 years old. This movie was very freaky in the first part of the film, My cousin and her friend basically kept there heads under the blanket the whole movie. Has a lot of sextual scenes, that escpecially trigger the teenager mind. Has a lot of creepy/scary scenes. Has dead bodies, and if you get nightmares from watching these types of movies, I recommend you not watching, even for an adult this is a very creepy/scary movie. It was even scarier sense I watched this movie on a big projecter screen in my uncle & aunt's basement. If you get scared easily, you do not need to watch this film.
5


Posted on 07/08/08 by The_Best_Damn_Thing Kid contributor, age 12

4


Posted on 06/30/08 by vampireprince97 Kid contributor, age 10

5


Posted on 05/26/08 by jonny_macc Kid contributor, age 15

A must see!

really good. i watched it with my friends, first half of the movive was good, but the last 20 mins was AWESOME. we all laughed our heads off!! not scary but can be jumpy at some points
5


Posted on 05/25/08 by orenmerry Kid contributor, age 12

VERY GOOD MOVIE!!

This is one of my favorite movies. It is a little scary, but not bad at all. I was suppried becasue there was no blood, where there should be. If you like "lite scary" movies this is deffenety a movie for you. But I would not let kids under 11 see it, some scary parts.
4


Posted on 04/24/08 by boiisliikegiirls13 Kid contributor, age 13

FANTASTIC!

Wow, this was a great movie. I honestly don't think it was that disturbing and wasn't as scary as i thought it would be. It also was suspenseful and doesnt get tireing ti watch again. the first hour or so is not at all scary, more on the funny side. if you haven't seen this movie, SEE IT!
5


Posted on 02/26/08 by luvthamovies Kid contributor, age 15

very cool for a suspenseful and pshycological thriller

ok this movie was the bomb and way better than when a stranger calls. leave it for kids 13 and up ;)
3

Posted on 02/04/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

Great

Good movie that kept me on my seat unlike others. A couple of gory scenes but is pretty clean. Whoever says that it is full of sex is wrong, just a snap shot of a girl in a bikini, like on a beach
5


Posted on 01/30/08 by thedutchess Kid contributor, age 13

More comedy then thrills

Sexual Content: Ashley is repetadley seen in a bikini; her back is seen without a bra on; kids watch porn; some sexual jokes; ringtone is "I'm so horny"; one kiss at the end; a man takes his victims home, sexes them, and kills them Violence: More thrills then violence; Ashley leaves blood on Turner's face; Turner dies; Grosteque rotted out faces; Consistent puching and kicking in the last 15 minutes Language: At least 10 s**t's, a few incomplete f**k's. and other scatered language and sexual banter; D**n, son of a b*tch, horny Social Behaviour; Kale punches his teacher; teenage boy on house arrest Commercialism; X-box, itunes, Hershey's chocolate syrup ect. Drugs/Alcohol: None.
See all 53 kids reviews >
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