A minor disagreement between neighbors in Florida takes a lethal turn, with police body camera footage and interviews probing the aftermath of the state’s controversial “stand your ground” laws.
Chuck says:
It was a perfect storm of misfortunes that led to the tragedy that befell Ajike Owens. The Florida mother had had numerous run-ins with Susan Lorincz, her meddlesome neighbor from across the street. Harassing the children in the neighborhood, including Owens’, the woman had constantly called the police to register one complaint after another, claiming her property had been repeatedly trespassed upon and that she was now receiving threats. That Lorincz was mentally ill becomes obvious. That she was so easily able to get a gun is criminal. That she felt justified in killing Owens when she approached her front door is the tragic result of a societal mindset.
Greeta Gandbhir’s “The Perfect Neighbor,” one of the year’s best documentaries, recounts the events that led to this shooting as well as the aftermath, with an immediacy that makes the story all the more heartbreaking. Like a visual epistolary novel, the director’s work is composed of bodycam and security footage as well as film from Lorincz’s trial. The result is a uniquely gripping expose, one in which we see the limits of law enforcement, the escalation of animosity between the aggrieved parties and ultimately, frustration over the missed opportunities that might have led to a peaceful resolution.
From the start, the viewer has very little sympathy for Lorincz. The quintessential “get-off-my-lawn” neighbor, she is living under the misconception the neighborhood children are not allowed to play in the abandoned lot next to her home. Posting “No Trespassing” signs, which only serve to encourage the kids, she’s constantly calling the police to complain about the little ones playing football or being too loud. They become so constant, they become a running joke for the police officers who must repeatedly respond.
This approach only pours gas on the fire of an escalating situation. Though they have been told nicely to stay away from Lorincz, kids being kids, they go out of their way at times to harass her. When games of “Ding-Dong-Ditch” ensue, it’s just a matter of time before things spiral out of control. And when they do, with Owens lying dead in the street, her children distraught and her friends furious, all that can be asked is how this situation could have gotten so out of hand.
While we are not privy to things not included in the film that would affect our perception, Gandbhir seems to portray all the respective parties even-handedly. It’s obvious from the beginning that Lorincz is in need of help and that Owens is protective of her children. The other adults who live on the street don’t take Lorincz seriously, regarding her simply as a nuisance, as do the cops whose hands are tied. All of this is presented via bodycam footage that appears to be undoctored, the result being a “you-are-there” experience that ultimately proves unnerving.
More than anything, “Neighbor” is a powerful argument for stricter gun control laws. Lorincz should never have been able to purchase a firearm. Exacerbating the situation is Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which Lorincz thought justified her blindly firing through her front door at Owens simply because she felt threatened. As with so many things regarding this issue, common sense is sacrificed on the altar of “inalienable rights,” the result being the death of a caring mother and three children orphaned.
In the end, Gandbhir’s restraint proves to be the film’s greatest asset. She knows full well nothing need be exaggerated. “Neighbor’s” story is tragic enough in its own right, circumstances we’ve all become numb to, what with their infuriating frequency.
3 1/2 Stars
Pam says:
We’ve all had our issues with neighbors; it’s never perfect when you live on top of each other. However, what happens in “The Perfect Neighbor,” a new documentary shot solely on footage from police officer body cams, goes beyond comprehension. Director Geeta Gandbhir takes us back a few years to Florida where a small neighborhood filled with children playing is disrupted by a “Karen,” Susan Lorincz. Susan has no tolerance for any child near her rental unit, on her rental lawn, or her her car as she calls police on a daily basis to complain. To make matters worse, race is also an issue in this predominantly Black community. And you guessed it, Susan is white. As the police officers respond to a barrage of calls from Susan, we witness the increase in intolerance from her, but we also see how her neighbors somehow tolerate her racist and cruel behavior, that is until a gun is involved and three children no longer have their mom.
What makes Gandbhir’s approach so compelling is the restraint she exercises in letting the footage speak for itself. There’s no narrator guiding us through the events, no talking heads offering their opinions, and no dramatic reenactments. Instead, we experience the escalating tension exactly as the responding officers did, call after call, complaint after complaint. The body camera perspective places us directly in the middle of these encounters, and the cumulative effect is simply devastating. We watch as what begins as petty grievances about kids, well, being kids, and transforms into something seemingly and possibly calculated by Susan. The handful of different officers handle the situations admirably and the interactions they have with the kids is quite endearing, but at the heart of this the officers understand the darker attributes of Susan.
The documentary’s structure mirrors the experience of reading a thriller that you just can’t put down. Each police response builds on the previous one, creating a sense of dread as we recognize the pattern that the neighbors have been living with for months. Susan’s frequent and unreasonable complaints seem pointed toward Ajike “AJ” Owens and her children while AJ shows remarkable patience and restraint in the face of obvious harassment. We witness the community come together in an attempt to de-escalate the situation as they try to function, live, and enjoy their neighborhood. Gandbhir captures this polar opposite reaction from Susan and the neighbors as it takes an emotional toll on exhausted police officers who are wasting their time and frightened kids who just want to play.
The film’s most powerful achievement is how it illuminates the broader systemic issues at play without ever feeling heavy-handed or contrived. We see how racism seeps into life each and every day and how “stand your ground” laws can create horrific situations. While we may know what’s going to happen, we feel gutted when it does as we witness youngsters in situations they cannot grasp nor should they. The final scenes examine the legal aftermath with unflinching gaze as we, ourselves, question the laws at hand and how America still has deep-seeded racism at its core. “The Perfect Neighbor” is truly essential viewing as it takes true crime and punctuates the social commentary.
3 1/2 stars
