The idea/concept behind this movie is a really good one. The way it is shot though, may appall a lot of people from the get go. Having the "shaky cam" and fuzzy cameras including sound variation is actually pretty annoying (although you do wonder where some film material is coming from, but that's another story).Nick Stahl plays the lead role and he has a lot to carry. Too much for him in my view. He can't pull off that transformation the character is going through. His outbursts are actually silly and look more like he's crazy than an actual human being. But for this movie to work, it has to be believable. And it just isn't. If you can't overlook the many flaws this movie has (like me), you won't really like this either. Acting wise it's unfortunately not up to the task (though the story/character changes do not help at times either).

I enjoyed the heck out of 388 Arletta Avenue. No bombs, no bullets, no intrigue; just a slice of life, and another, and another, all progressing toward another slice. What is happening, next? But Why? How can he? Why doesn't he? Since that didn't work, should he? The viewer is the creep by perspective but has the plagued man's identity. No thoughts of creep's purpose are revealed, the reactions of all others were reality-typical. It did have a few over-long moments, but whose life doesn't? I didn't miss the bombs, or the bullets, and the intrigue WAS there, upon reflection, but just from my own mind.The ending was mostly expected AFTER I saw the ending, but NOT before, which to me is even more of the attraction.If you want the easy-answers-ending tied in a happy bundle, go elsewhere; if you want a very possible real-life nightmare, watch it.

I watched this on Netflix, I almost didn't as it was only rated 2 and a half stars, then it averaged just 4 here. The plot seemed interesting with two respected lead actors. Maybe the plot was done before, either natural or in supernatural form. There are a lot of movies using that voyeuristic home video look comprised mainly from the watcher's cameras point of views. This one was different, being something that could very well happen in real life showing how easily lives can be unraveled by a total stranger. Just seeing how possible it is made it way scarier than the "paranormal" or "crime footage" attempts done to death. As others have mentioned, it's the unknown that makes this movie scary and interesting. Oh yes, done before but what hasn't? It's not a recycled comic strip or classic movie remade, therefore for those reasons alone it contains an original advantage over re-boots. It also proves that a movie doesn't need extreme gore or violence to grab your attention just as much. There's also no nudity or unnecessary language. Perhaps that could very well be the reason for the low marks as some people may have expected that. There are no out of sync scenes, production gimmicks or flashbacks; it starts and ends in order.I think this movie well deserves a fair watch but the real surprise to me was its classic way of still giving you chills and maybe forcing you to leave (or not leave) a light on after you see it. Nick Stahl is fantastic and is one of the most underrated actors out there and I have no idea what the complaints are about. It's very well acted and is portrayed as realistic as anyone in his character's situation. Basically the movie focuses on Stahl's character, not so much the villain or victim, because he is just as much the victim and the one psychologically tortured to the breaking point. SPOILER----> I would have liked a better ending but that too adds to the movie's realism of something very possible in real life going on under our noses, in our own neighborhoods and towns.

Good movie/plot, but poor directing. Could have been more dramatic! For a low budget movie that relies on video camera and stuff, a little more action could have elevated the movie into a block buster. The role of the Bill is very ambiguous. He's not supposed to die the way he died. He should have been given the opportunity to defend himself in a more dramatic way or even be given a better edge as a payback to all the suffering he endured in the hands of James while in school. Police investigation should have been more thorough and done in parallel to what James was doing. Overall it's a good movie with intermittent scenes of actions and suspense, but could have been spinned in a more dramatic manner