‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Review: A Revolutionary Doc, Made From Bodycam Footage, Takes Us Inside an Avoidable Tragedy

by

Wasn’t there a time in our youth when we all, at least once, managed to irritate the grumpy old neighbor living across the street? Sometimes it was unavoidable, given that some individuals just don’t seem to fit well with suburban life, scaring local children by barking “Keep off my lawn!” whenever an unsuspecting child happened to tread on their prized land. In doing so, they became the perfect candidates for pranks like toilet-papering a house or playing ding-dong ditch. However, nobody anticipated that the seemingly harmless witch residing next door would actually carry out her warnings.

The documentary “The Perfect Neighbor,” directed by Geeta Gandbhir, explores the unexpected story of Susan Lorincz, a Florida resident who took matters into her own hands in a manner reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s characters. However, this description may seem lighthearted, but it portrays a distressing real-life event that led to the fatal shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens, an African American single mother. The film doesn’t advocate for violent actions, instead, it sheds light on the local community’s discontent over the fact that the white shooter wasn’t prosecuted in a similar manner as a Black person would have been under the same circumstances.

This tense true-crime documentary by Gandbhir, both groundbreaking and essential in its philosophical approach, meticulously recreates a single dispute using primarily official footage, much of which was captured on police body cameras. The end product bears striking resemblance to a blend between “Paranormal Activity” and “End of Watch,” allowing viewers to make their own interpretations based on the presented evidence. This style of filmmaking has the potential to transform the true-crime genre, as demonstrated by its impact on the Oscar-nominated short documentary “Incident,” produced by The New Yorker.

Nevertheless, self-defense and “stand your ground” laws have historically been employed to acquit killers, whose ingrained (and often unacknowledged) racial prejudices may undervalue their victims’ lives, perceiving them as threatening or inferior. This underlying theme emerges in this powerful and provocative social experiment directed by the Emmy-winning creator of “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.” The film serves not only as a captivating piece but also as a mirror for viewers to scrutinize their own biases.

In various aspects, Gandbhir’s intriguing project also offers an unexpectedly familiar portrayal of unresolvable disagreements among neighbors – a theme often found on sensational daytime talk shows, but seldom explored in high-quality films. These disputes usually don’t get resolved and can escalate to bitter and even deadly extremes, as my partner unfortunately experienced when the neighbor next door, who was illegally running a noisy auto-repair business from his garage, cut the brake lines of his car.

The irony lies in the fact that it was Lorincz, who could be considered a risky individual, who kept dialing 911 frequently. In February 2022, the police were dispatched to their residence following accusations by Lorincz against Owens for allegedly tossing a “no trespassing” sign at her. Deviating from conventional documentary methods, Gandbhir opted not to conduct new interviews or stage the incident itself. Instead, he utilized footage from the officers’ bodycams to portray the scenario. One neighbor comments, “That woman is always causing trouble for people’s kids,” gesturing towards an open area where children of various races often play, much to the dismay of a nearby work-from-home resident. A young girl describes Lorincz as a bossy and angry “Karen.

From a sociological perspective, the Karen behavior – where privileged white women assert control over others’ actions, often based on unseen power dynamics – can be challenging to define. It’s been extensively shown that Black Americans face a significantly higher risk of being fatally shot, sometimes accidentally and at other times intentionally, by law enforcement officers. Was Lorincz aware, with every 911 call she made, that she might be putting her neighbors in danger? Could it be that she was relying on this danger? The use of the police as a weapon by certain citizens is one of the less-discussed ways this institution can be employed not only to uphold the law, but also to perpetuate remnants of white supremacy.

From “The Perfect Neighbor”, we can’t ascertain the specific thoughts that were running through Lorincz’s mind when the children’s noise became a distraction for her focusing. However, police interrogations suggest she uttered racial slurs such as the N-word and other derogatory terms towards the young ones. Yet, videos from her own security cameras reveal the kids intentionally provoking her, wiggling their bottoms in her direction.

The cops did not personally observe these events, but their statements (even those with strong language describing Lorincz) are recorded. It seems Lorincz causes more disturbance than her neighbors, and each call made finds the offensive behavior already subsided – it’s important to note that none of this justifies what followed, as Lorincz later introduced a firearm into the situation.

For Gandbhir, this section poses the greatest challenge in reconstruction, as the gunfire happens off-screen. However, the director employs audio from what seems like a doorbell camera recording from afar on the street to create an impression of the conflict – an entirely distinct portrayal compared to Lorincz’s account of life-and-death events.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no simple resolution for this conflict. It’s intriguing though, that someone who asserts a right to “peaceful, undisturbed possession of their property” might have initially invited the police into the situation. Add to that her use of firearms and it opens up a lot of topics for discussion and debate among viewers. The bodycam footage, however, shows that Lorincz’s most underhanded tactic was twisting the truth and attempting to control the authority figures upon their arrival. Despite recent criticisms of police, they appear as the heroes in this scenario. If only Owens had contacted them instead that fateful night, perhaps events would have unfolded differently.

Read More

2025-01-25 06:46