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The Boy Next Door (film)

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The Boy Next Door
File:The Boy Next Door poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRob Cohen
Written byBarbara Curry
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDave McFarland
Edited byMichel Aller
Music byRandy Edelman
Production
companies
Blumhouse Productions
Smart Entertainment
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • January 23, 2015 (2015-01-23)
Running time
91 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[2]

The Boy Next Door is an American erotic thriller film directed by Rob Cohen and written by Barbara Curry. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristen Chenoweth, and John Corbett. Lopez plays a high school teacher named Claire who, in the midst of a divorce, has a one night stand with a younger neighbor (Guzman), who develops a dangerous obsession with her.[3]

Cast

Conception

Screenwriter Barbra Curry, who was a criminal lawyer for ten years, revealed that she developed the script's concept after running past a house which she described as her "dream house". A "bad boy" her son went to school with resided in the house across the street, which gave her a "really interesting" concept about a neighborhood boy creating conflict and "driving a wedge between a family". This served as her inspiration for the screenplay.[9]

Curry stated that the "first few drafts of [the movie] focused on a 12-year-old boy and a mother's trial of trying to get her son out of this boy's clutches, and gradually, it became something else".[9] In the original script, Claire was "happily married", but Curry chose to have her separated due to her husband's infidelity, so that she could be a "more sympathetic character".[9] Curry was influenced by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher who became involved with her underage student, causing her to be convicted for rape charges.[9] The Boy Next Door's plot has been compared to the thriller films Swimfan and Basic Instinct,[9][10] while also being dubbed "the Fatal Attraction of 2015".[11] The formerly dominant erotic thriller genre had been fading from Hollywood features since the 1990s. Director Rob Cohen stated that with the film, he wanted to "reinvent the genre in an entertaining way" that would reflect "2015, not 1990".[12]

Production

On September 6, 2013 it was announced Jennifer Lopez had joined The Boy Next Door, to be produced by Jason Blum and John Jacobs with a budget between $3 to $4 million. Barbara Curry wrote the screenplay. Rob Cohen was set to direct.[4] Later on September 19 Kristin Chenoweth joined the cast to star opposite to Lopez.[6] John Corbett also joined the film on October 14; he will play the role of Jennifer character's ex-husband.[7] Later on October 25 Ryan Guzman also joined cast to lead opposite Lopez; he will play the boy next door.[5] Guzman, who had previously auditioned for Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), was cast after Lopez requested for him to attend a table read at her Los Angeles home, where she also read with several actors. Speaking of the choice to cast Guzman, Lopez revealed: "This is not an easy role, to go from the likable boy next door to what he winds up turning into. It’s really challenging, even for the most experienced actor."[13] Guzman ad-libbed one of the film's memorable lines during filming.[14] On November 18 Hill Harper joined the film for a supporting role.[8]

On his approach, Cohen said that he refused to consider making the film PG-13: "The first thing I said was, “If you want me, I’m making an R-rated movie.” I don’t want to deal with sex and make it, like, for 13-year-olds."[12] The film took 23 days to shoot.[2] Discussing its micro-budget, Lopez stated: "You know what, we put all four million dollars in front of the camera! We all shared one trailer, we had no craft service, it wasn't that type of luxury movie set, let's say."[15]

Marketing

The film's teaser poster, unveiled in October 2014, features Lopez standing in a window wearing a "tight low-cut lacy vest".[16] Lopez, who hoped that the film would appeal to Hispanic markets due to featuring two Latin leads which may not have been possible had a big studio produced it, made her largest Hispanic press tour to date in Miami.[17][15] She visited ¡Despierta América! and Nuestra Belleza Latina, shows which air on the Latin American network Univision, the latter of which saw a gain of 22% in ratings with Lopez's appearance.[17]

Release

The film will be released on January 23, 2015. It runs for approximately 90 minutes and is rated R due to violence, sexual content/nudity and language.[18] Opening across 2,599 North American theaters, The Boy Next Door has been projected to pull in between $12 to $15 million over its opening weekend, which would be significantly higher than its budget.[19]

Critical response

The Boy Next Door has received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a rating of 14%, based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's consensus reads, "The Boy Next Door may get a few howls out of fans of stalker thrillers, but for most viewers, it won't even rise to "so bad it's good" status."[20] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 31 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[21]

Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, Thomas Lee wrote: "Why Lopez decided to do this inept, cliche-infested film is anyone's guess".[22] The Guardian writer Jordan Hoffman gave the film two stars, writing that "it is bad, but it isn't THAT bad", and said: "for a would-be cult classic, this could have been much more".[23] Despite the negative reviews about the film, Jennifer Lopez was praised for her acting. Richard Lawson from Vanity Fair wrote: "Lopez plays that sudden, wicked arousal pretty perfectly, acting the responsible adult for the most part, but sneaking furtive gazes when she can. Given the material, Lopez is actually pretty darn good in the movie, taking it seriously enough that it’s not irksomely arch camp, but also plenty aware that she’s not doing Shakespeare. She’s a joy to watch throughout."[24]. Claudia Puig from USA Today also praised Jennifer Lopez performance noticing that the movie represents an improvement in Lopez career: "Lopez is believably powerful in moments of physical conflict. The Boy Next Door is an improvement on Lopez's forgettable rom-coms. And while not exactly an inventive story, the movie is a diverting guilty pleasure, laden with eye candy and familiar thrills." |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/01/22/the-boy-next-door-review/22094445/%7Caccessdate=January 23, 2015|work=USA Today|publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network|date=January 23, 2015}}</ref>

References

  1. ^ "AMC Theatres: The Boy Next Door". amctheatres.com. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b Gostin, Nicki (January 17, 2015). "Jennifer Lopez: There's 'no shame' in playing the older woman in 'The Boy Next Door'". NY Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  3. ^ Moreno, Carolina (December 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez On Why Her New Movie Is 'Breaking Down' Stereotypes". The Huffington Post. HuffPost Latino. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Abrams, Rachel (September 6, 2013). "Jennifer Lopez to Star in New Jason Blum Thriller 'The Boy Next Door'". Variety. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Ford, Rebecca (October 25, 2013). "'Step Up Revolution' Star Ryan Guzman in Talks for 'Boy Next Door'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Kit, Borys (September 19, 2013). "Kristin Chenoweth Joins Jennifer Lopez in 'The Boy Next Door'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Yamato, Jen (October 14, 2013). "John Corbett Joins Blumhouse J. Lo Thriller 'The Boy Next Door'". deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Ford, Rebecca (November 18, 2013). "'The Boy Next Door' Adds 'CSI: NY' Star Hill Harper". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e Papadopoulos, Madina (January 20, 2015). ""The Boy Next Door" Screenwriter on Her Underage Sex Thriller Starring J.Lo". Cosmopolitan. Hearst Communications. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Douglas, Edward (January 20, 2015). "The Weekend Warrior: The Boy Next Door, Strange Magic, Mortdecai". Comicsoon.net. Crave Online. Retrieved January 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  11. ^ Manelis, Michele (January 16, 2015). "Jennifer Lopez's The Boy Next Door has been dubbed 2015's Fatal Attraction". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved January 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  12. ^ a b Bibbiani, William (January 20, 2015). "The Boy Next Door: Rob Cohen on Erotic Thrillers and xXx 3". CraveOnline. AtomicMedia. Retrieved January 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  13. ^ Travino Alarcon, Jesus (December 19, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman on Latina Magazine's February 2015 Cover - The Boy Next Door Movie". Latina. Latina Media Ventures. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  14. ^ Hughes, Jason (January 21, 2015). "Ryan Guzman on Being 'Nervous' Shooting 'Boy Next Door' Sex Scene With Jennifer Lopez, 'Fifty Shades' Audition (Video)". TheWrap. The Wrap News, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  15. ^ a b Lee, Ashley (January 19, 2015). "Jennifer Lopez on Casting Latinos in 'The Boy Next Door': "That's Gonna Change Things"". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  16. ^ "Jennifer Lopez in poster for erotic thriller The Boy Next Door". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  17. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2015). "'American Sniper' To Take Out New Films By Lopez, Depp & Lucas – B.O. Preview". Deadline.com. PMC. Retrieved January 22, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  18. ^ Linden, Sheri (January 21, 2015). "Review: 'Boy Next Door' way too predictable". Santa Cruz Sentinel. MediaNews Group. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  19. ^ Lang, Brent (January 21, 2015). "Box Office: 'American Sniper' to Hold Off Johnny Depp and J.Lo". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  20. ^ "The Boy Next Door". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  21. ^ "The Boy Next Door". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  22. ^ Lee, Thomas (January 22, 2015). "'The Boy Next Door' review: Should be left at home". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  23. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (January 23, 2015). "The Boy Next Door review – Jennifer Lopez suffers reverse Fatal Attraction". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  24. ^ Lawson, Richard (January 23, 2015). "'20 Reasons Why The Boy Next Door Is Actually Worthy Seeing' review: Should be left at home". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
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