The Perfect Neighbor

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The Perfect Neighbor

R

2025

1h 36m

Documentary

Crime

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Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

99 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida's "stand your ground" laws.

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Critics Consensus

As gripping as it is deeply unsettling, The Perfect Neighbor lays bare the systemic failures and the quiet terror embedded in American legal systems with surgical precision.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 11

Extremely powerful and extremely important documentary filmmaking.

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Sam Adams

Slate

Nov 4

A chilling and provocative look at the limits of policing, particularly when the laws the police are called to enforce present more of a problem than a solution.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Oct 31

3.5/4

Captured entirely from police cam footage, this Oscar-buzzed documentary about a white Florida woman who murders her Black neighbor indicts an entire society. It's also the scariest movie you’ll see this Halloween season.

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Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

Mar 22

It is an upsetting 97 minutes that needs to be seen.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Mar 22

the film’s point is not to center the victim or individuate the neighbors, but to say, "See, this lady who claims to be scared is actually terrorizing a neighborhood. Recognize her true face so you don’t become complicit now or in the future."

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Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

Mar 12

3.5/5

A gut-wrenching documentary that feels like a real-life horror movie. The editing keeps the film engaging throughout, though the shaky-cam shots can be a bit dizzying for those prone to motion sickness.

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Jordan P

@JPVQueen 1d

Really troubling documentary to watch. Not a feelgood time by any stretch but man as you watch the story unfold you just get more tense (and frustrated) by the second.

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Marvel N.

@MarvelNerd 2d

This story NEEDED to be shared with the world! I’ve never felt so affected and moved by a documentary. I really hope all the families who were affected by this tragedy are doing fine now. What a loss and what a mind blowing crazy story. Thank you for sharing this with the world. I definitely recommend this documentary!

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Allison M

@ColoradoMom 2d

This will make you pause and really evaluate so much about racism, the right to bear arms, and who should and shouldn't be able to hold a gun license. This documentary tells the story so well and you keep thinking "that didn't just happen." Yet it did and changed so many lives forever.

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Umutoni G

@RT01569678 4d

I watched The Perfect Neighbor and it really stuck with me. What starts as an ordinary neighborhood conflict slowly becomes tense and unsettling. The real-life footage makes everything feel incredibly personal and heartbreaking. It's not an easy watch, but it's a powerful documentary that stayed on my mind long after it ended.

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cori ..

@corxnne 4d

A deep insight into our world, very beautifully done.

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cara T

@itsme-carat 6d

powerful documentary about racism and stand your ground laws. I truly believe that had it not been for the journalism and activism surrounding this case that she would have been cleared of the charges.

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Geeta Gandbhir

Director

Nikon Kwantu

Producer

Geeta Gandbhir

Producer

Alisa Payne

Producer

Sam Bisbee

Producer

Sam Pollard

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida's "stand your ground" laws.

Director: Geeta Gandbhir
Producer: Nikon Kwantu, Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Message Pictures
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2025
Runtime: 1h 36m