In NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, Simon (Jack Quaid), a young man grappling with mental illness, becomes convinced that he has witnessed an abduction. When he reports it to the police and they refuse to believe him, he reluctantly seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a jaded, retired security guard with his own troubled past. As the unlikely duo delves deeper into the mystery, their pursuit of the truth forces them to confront not only the dark secrets surrounding the disappearance but also the unspoken wounds that haunt them both.
What We Thought:
Neighborhood Watch stands out for one reason, its solid performances especially from Jack Quaid. With films like this and Novocaine, Quaid is becoming one of my favorite actors whose movies I’ll watch simply because he is in them.
Quaid plays Simon, a man with mental health issues who is trying to get his life back together. He lives with his sister (the underrated Malin Akerman) and is desperately trying to find a job to help her out at home. He unfortunately isn’t always right in the head and struggles with what is real and what he is imagining. While out one day he sees a woman being kidnapped. When the police don’t take him seriously because of his past, he tries to get help from his neighbor Ed (The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Ed is a recently let go college security guard who took his job a bit too seriously. Ed wants nothing to do with Simon because of his issues, but Simon is consistent enough for Ed to head down that rabbit hole. Despite the pair’s issues with each other, they form a good enough team to trace down those involved, but also get themselves into their own hot water.
Just like in Novocaine Quaid shines in the role. He’s very much the “everyman” you can root for despite his mental health. He sees a woman being kidnapped and instinctively wants to help her. That was the same for his character in Novocaine. If you only know him from The Boys, check out some of his filmography because he might be today’s John Ritter. Whereas his dad Dennis Quaid was very much the rugged leading man, Jack has a fun-loving charisma to him that really works. Morgan can probably play the role in his sleep, but that’s what you want in Ed.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has a solid following. Jack Quaid (thanks to The Boys) is growing one as well. Neighborhood Watch is the type of movie I can see gaining a following through the years. JDM fans will probably check it out simply because he’s in it. As Quaid’s fandom grows it’ll be a movie people discover over time as well. It knows exactly what it is and allows its leads to do what they need to do with their characters. It’s not going to “wow” anyone, but for a film I didn’t know existed, it’s a good watch especially if you already like Jack Quaid. If you are looking for something a little different, but is still a good drama/thriller, track it down.
The Nerds Templar 