From their dull lives as high-school outcasts, two misfits, named Bo (Charlie Sheen) and Roy (Maxwell Caulfield), vamoose to L.A. seeking sex and excitement. The film's underlying concept is fine. But given the first three minutes, wherein viewers learn about well-publicized American serial killers, the script sets us up for a way too predictable plot.Even in small matters of business, like when the guys stop to get gasoline, we can see what's coming next. The plot offers very little in the way of surprises or depth. The script is too direct and too shallow. Dialogue lacks subtext. And characters are almost two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. They're stereotypes of losers, so too are the pretty faces of those who reject them.There's no real character development here. Roy especially is filled with anger. But we never learn why. They both are such simpletons, so clueless, that when they unintentionally walk into a gay bar, the result is almost comical. And the film is full of plot clichés, like the standard high-speed car chase along urban streets curiously devoid of traffic.Casting is unfortunate. Both Sheen and Caulfield look too old to be in high school. Yet both actors do a pretty good job in their roles. Cinematography is fairly standard. But given the outdoor scenes, the visuals make the film look dated. So too does the background music, which reeks of 1980s junk music.The main problem here is a script that plots a story that is too direct and too predictable. Casting doesn't help, and neither does the music. I could have wished for main characters with some complexity and whose journey had shades of gray. "The Boys Next Door" is a film of marginal interest. It's not terribly bad. But there are other films out there that tell a similar story better.

Roy (Maxwell Caulfield) and Bo (Carlos Estevez) leave their small town the weekend after graduation for a short road trip to Los Angeles. Soon, they find themselves lashing out and leaving a trail of bodies behind them. The violence escalates throughout.I love that Nicolas Cage almost got a role in this film, and that Crispin Glover was turned down for being "too psychotic" at his audition. What a different film that would have been...As a whole, I like this film as presenting the idea of the "sociopath next door", the concept that those who commit the most violent and heinous acts are those we often least suspect. Unfortunately, I feel like it never fully developed the idea. Cross-country murder tales (such as "Badlands" and "Natural Born Killers", both inspired by Charles Starkweather) have been done better... this had its own unique vision, but never took it all the way.

Alienation is a terrible thing, it's consequences can sometimes be deadly, as this movie shows. Good looking teens, Caulfield and Sheen, each other's best friend, are shunned by their school peers, (Caulfield, not only his peers) for what reason, I don't know. Desperate for attention, as shown in one of the prior scenes, they're even excluded from a graduation party, they crash anyway. Yeeeeaah, power to them. Snobs. If you were one on the alienated, you'll identify perfectly with this movie, all too well. The repulsed and hostile looks they endure plus all the other crap they take. So they must vent, where they finally graduate to murder, as they take a trip to L.A, and start to kill people at random. That's after dognapping, and beating an Iranian gas station attendant half to death, who was trying to rip them off. You get as good as you give. Oh, and lobbing a beer bottle in the air, hitting an old woman in the head, that's succeeded by two bikini clad women chasing after them, one of who'm is thrown off of Caulfield's car, her friend yelling after them, "Queers". Charlie Sheen, I don't think so. On it's first view you will find certain parts of this movie disturbing, but this is an engrossing one too. One teen drama with flavor, it's final scene of Sheen in slo-mo, haunting. Bits of it might cut too deep, if you're one of the ignored, as it is pretty much a reality movie. And remember this is from the director of the Wayne's World movies. What a change of pace. It starts off great, with photos of infamous serial killers, their real voices attached. This is a movie I urge teens to watch, if any movie. Sheen does well, handsome devil he is, playing to his father's Badlands, exuding just that really small amount of creepiness that he balances well. A real humanistic and quite scary performance, one that hooked me. But it's Caulfield who's the more dangerous of the two, a character who's past the point of no return, inundated with rage, hate, and bitterness, a chilling scene of him in close up at that party, parked down on the ground, chewing his nail, contemplating, watching a sole girl off, watching him. She averts his eyes, repulsed, and a little scared. That's just before he jumps in the pool and turns it pink. Movie's also known as No Apparent Motive. I thoroughly recommend this.

ok, for the fans of quality entertainment, i recomend this movie. this one has superb quality action. plenty of beatings, punishment and domination to go around. since plent of other viewers have explained the basics of the film, i will spare the details. i cant recomend this movie if you are too uptight and take yourself too seriously- remember this is only a movie. folks who found movies like a clockwork orange and barfly disturbing will not be able to get any laughs out of this either. those movies are great too!. i will soon own this on dvd b ecause of the funny moments and the excellent violence. these two guys bo and roy, dish out some serious pain and suffering in l.a.you must see this movie.