It's the story of three strange friendships, with a serial killer lurking in the background. Lives of the three single people, two guys and a gal, all under age 30, become intertwined over a five-month period as a result of living in close proximity in a Montreal apartment building. The film is less a whodunit than a play of mind games, as unlikely events collide, to force the three to question each others motives, then plot ways to a self-interested outcome.The three characters are mildly interesting, though the Victor character is so neurotic, and dense to others' cues, he quickly becomes grating. I see that as a script problem. There are also a couple of significant plot holes. And the ending I find less than satisfying, as it leaves viewers wondering, and questions unanswered.Casting is acceptable. Acting is fine given the subdued story line. Visuals trend a bit dark. Most of the plot is set indoors. "Good Neighbors" is a low-budget film, and uses a minimal cast and minimal sets. Overall, the film has a pleasantly European look and feel, with interspersed French dialogue, Canadian accents, musty interiors, and cold climate exteriors.If you're looking for a whodunit, or an extravagant production, or a film of great thematic depth, look elsewhere. Notwithstanding weakness previously described, "Good Neighbors" excels at character drama, with a touch of low-key quirkiness; a cozy, intimate little film worth a one-time watch on a cold winter night.

Victor, a tall, lanky, awkward guy moves into an apartment complex in Canada. He's quick to attempt to befriend a girl and her wheelchair bound fiancé. However there's a killer on the loose and things slowly begin to unravel.A very slow and plodding movie yet well-acted enough to keep my interests despite some character motivations that were quizzical to say the least. Even an ending that left many more questions than answers, didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film (that much) That being said, your mileage may vary, just keep in mind that it's much more a quirky character study and NOT a horror film, nor ever much of a thriller for that matter.

Good Neighbors (2010)A Canadian indie thriller with spritely charm. Yup! The cast is small, the concept cute and macabre (both), and the filming and editing first rate. This is the latest installment of what is a new genre, mostly American, where a bright, lighthearted tone keeps a relatively serious theme tipped on edge the whole time. It's almost as if the filmmakers are tired of high drama movies, from true horror films to action adventure to even the moving dramas that win the awards. It's also, though, a product of budget, and making the most of small resources. "Good Neighbors" is in many ways a perfect small movie.Imagine the most common of situations--a small apartment building where two main characters each have an apartment. One is a disgruntled young woman with two sweet cats, her only real friends. The other is a charming handsome man in a wheelchair, with a cynical and mean interior. Then a newcomer arrives, all sweetness and kindness.Meanwhile, a serial killer is in the neighborhood, and the woman in particular follows the story for her own self-preservation. Because it's a tightly constructed movie you suspect that one of the three has something to do with the killings, but maybe not, as a fourth apartment dweller makes her viciousness known. This is the turning point, and things get complicated in a funny/tragic way in the last quarter of the film. As convincing as all these characters are (most of the time), there are few holes here and there. One of them is the series of crimes, and the minimal presence of the police (and rather unconvincing tough detective who looks better than he sounds for the part). In a way we're not supposed to believe or care about the crimes themselves, but in another way, the crimes become, increasingly, the whole movie. Thank goodness for the director that the Montreal police are apparently pretty relaxed about gathering evidence.Never mind the nitpicking, however. If you like the "indie" feel of movies like "Timer" or even "Juno" (which is better overall), this one will really take you in. It's a "delight" in the best sense of that word.

Although the film is not perfect by any means, and does contain so holes here that will have most scratching their heads, this is a brilliant piece of Canadian cinema considering it's track record with few to more hits recently. Parts of this film felt somewhat inspired by Kubrick's The Shining minus the hallucinatory elements as well as a Hitchockian noir element in the mix. This is a character piece that really gets into your head and keeps you guessing all the way through with the who-done-it element quite alive here. It is a bit slow paced, but that pacing works very well here, although, it may be the factor that loses most of it's audiences that happen to stumble upon it. The cast here is nearly flawless as well, and Canadian actor Jay Baruchel is great as always, but doesn't drown the rest of the cast. This makes for a nearly perfect drama thriller noir with some darkly comedic elements within.