Shia LaBeouf’s acclaimed psychological thriller, “Disturbia,” became a global Netflix hit nearly two decades after its original release. It’s a 2007 film, directed by D. J. Caruso and written by Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth. Partially inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” the film follows the story of a teenager who is placed on house arrest for assaulting his school teacher and begins to spy on his neighbors, believing one of them is a serial killer. Apart from LaBeouf, the film’s cast includes David Morse, Sarah Roemer, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
It has been 17 years since the film was released, and it’s now getting the attention it deserves as it has become a global hit on Netflix. For the week of May 13–19, Disturbia was the third most-watched movie on Netflix worldwide, with 13.5 million hours viewed and 7.7 million individual views. This is the film’s first week on Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart, where it finished in third place, just below “Madame Web” in second and “Mother of the Bride” in first. Rounding out the rest of the Top 10 are “Thelma the Unicorn,” “Shrek,” “Upgrade,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “The Boss Baby,” “Unfrosted,” and “Smile.”
What makes Shia LaBeouf’s Disturbia a Top 10 film on Netflix?
It is said that Disturbia is partially based on Hitchcock’s film, but the resemblance in both films is so great that Disturbia’s producers and studio were sued for infringing on the rights to “It Had to Be Murder,” the 1942 short story on which “Rear Window” was based, though the claim was rejected by the courts.
However, even though “Disturbia” is considered to be a mirror to “Rear Window,” it is also the reason why it has been such a success. “Disturbia” was well-received by critics, who, despite the film’s predictable ending, praised it as a gripping and understated thriller with a standout performance from LaBeouf. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Disturbia” holds strong 70% and 77% scores from critics and audiences, respectively. The movie was also a box office hit, grossing nearly $120 million on its mid-sized $20 million budget.
The film has become a Netflix hit during a time when LaBeouf has been absent from the spotlight for several years due to abuse allegations, which have prevented him from being cast in new roles. However, fans will soon get to witness the actor once again on the big screen as he is part of Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded epic sci-fi movie “Megalopolis,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
