THE STORY – Believing he witnessed an abduction, a young man turns to his next-door neighbor, a retired security guard, to help him find the missing woman.
THE CAST – Jack Quaid & Jeffrey Dean Morgan
THE TEAM – Duncan Skiles (Director) & Sean Farley (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 92 Minutes
It’s so easy to have the crippling sense of unease and insecurity overwhelm you. These days, it seems to be a commonplace mental state, with world events causing a constant bombardment on the psyche that seems never to vanish. This is a foundational element to what drives so many of us, both in active pursuit of a remedy or the incentive to fall back and be consumed by the darkness. This recognizable aspect is what can create intriguing characters and force them on a journey of self-discovery. That is the primary affliction that the central figure in “Neighborhood Watch” grapples with. He finds himself stuck between two planes, one that grants satisfied accomplishment but also feels perilous and daunting. All wrapped within a crime narrative, the film itself manages to explore some provocative moments that get buried beneath more conventional aspects.
For Simon (Jack Quaid), life is about as difficult as it could possibly be for him. His existence is one challenge after another since leaving the mental facility he was forced into following a psychotic break that was brought about by his schizophrenia. He can’t manage to get a job and is weighed down by the burden he has become. However, his life suddenly has a glimpse of purpose when he witnesses a crime: a young woman who’s been abducted in an alley by a mysterious figure driving a van. Simon is determined to free the woman and bring the assailant to justice, but he is obviously not the most reliable witness. When traditional options are exhausted, he turns to his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a former security guard at the local college who has inflated ideas of his own skillset when it comes to law enforcement activities. Yet, despite his obvious skepticism of Simon’s veracity, he sees this caper as a chance to indulge in his own passions and prove his aptitude. So is set into motion a series of events that reveals larger conspiracies and a closer bond between this unlikely pair.
Despite the dark subject matter being explored in this material, there is also a hint of comedy that persists. It’s a dark humor that punctures the atmosphere, relishing in the somber moments and grizzly violence that leans into the absurdity of two oddball participants at the center. It would be easy to say that director Duncan Skiles infuses a flavor of the Coen brothers into this procedural, and it’s a comparison that welcomes both positive and negative connotations. The quirky sensibility nicely undercuts the overwhelming morbidity, creating an engrossing dynamic between the leads and a compelling mystery to follow. At the same time, what is captivating about the narrative is only skin deep, and beneath the surface is an inconsistent maneuvering between tones that never quite finds its footing. The humor often aims for easy targets that pit an irascible curmudgeon against an idiosyncratic personality, which eventually becomes pedestrian as the film marches on. It doesn’t help that the cinematography’s glossy aesthetic gives a particular sheen to the visuals that doesn’t give the texture necessary to convey the hardened underworld being explored.
Part of this imbalance can also be attributed to Sean Farley’s screenplay, which certainly does craft a decent foundation between these individuals who struggle to find novel avenues to move them toward. The investigation and Simon and Ed find themselves in a lethargic progression, inherently episodic, without much momentum to really build the intrigue. Some of this might be intentional, pointing out the rather mundane criminality that is given heightened stakes due to the fragile mentality of our protagonists. At the same time, the narrative wrestles with manifesting a more engrossing landscape, with the ultimate resolution being a whimper of predictable outcomes wrapped within a weak catharsis. Still, there are elements that are engaging, and as a mystery, the storytelling fulfills enough interest to keep one invested; it’s just not a particularly strong effort at doing so.
What truly makes this a worthwhile endeavor is Quaid’s performance. He’s an actor who has consistently been able to showcase a multitude of personas, and he is believable in roles that range from earnest heroes to sleazy, corruptible villains. His versatility is well-utilized here, demonstrating the mental turmoil of the character that often gets internalized. Those emotions are manifest in a voiceover representing his psychosis, insistently tormenting Simon with thoughts of insecurities, often with a call to self-harm. Quaid will let those moments of outburst occur, but it always feels grounded within a realistic depiction. He indulges in just enough eccentricities without ever losing humanity to the histrionics. Morgan is dealt a less alluring role, but there is a sadness that runs as an undercurrent that gives him more dimensionality. The notion of a man holding onto the glory days that gave his life meaning, desperately trying to recapture a status of accomplishment, is felt as much as his venomous retorts. Together, the two share an easy chemistry that guides this story, though Quaid is undoubtedly the one who stands out more.
There’s not much that can be labeled surprising about “Neighborhood Watch.” In all honesty, it might be one that aims for innovation at all. The storytelling bears this out with a storyline that is more reliant on the characters’ banter and connection with each other as opposed to any grand revelation or twist within the narrative. On that front, the pacing can get occasionally sluggish and laborious to endure. Still, what is here is enthralling enough to warrant investment, and thanks to some enticing performances, a more interesting aura is found. The whole may be less than the sum of its parts, but it all adds up to a worthy enough venture to examine.
