The Perfect Neighbor

Play trailer

The Perfect Neighbor

R

2025

1h 36m

Documentary

Crime

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

99 Reviews

80%

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.

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 11

Extremely powerful and extremely important documentary filmmaking.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

Mar 22

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

Go to Full Review

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."

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Umutoni G

@RT01569678 15h

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.

See more

cori ..

@corxnne 18h

A deep insight into our world, very beautifully done.

See more

cara T

@itsme-carat 2d

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.

See more

Christian M

@chriss17eu 3d

Intriguing and deeply heartbreaking. I wasn’t expecting a found footage-style film at the Oscars, and that immediately caught me off guard in a good way. The first hour leaves me cold — not bored, just emotionally detached. But everything changes once the dramatic climax arrives. Suddenly, I’m fully invested in the moral and ethical debates Gandbhir presents, constantly questioning who is right and what I would do in that situation. By the end, the film completely wins me over. It’s effective, emotionally devastating, and never longer or denser than it needs to be. Out of all the nominated documentaries, this was easily my favorite.

See more

Curtis T.

@barncarpet 5d

It was a truly genuine and emotional experience.

See more

B G.

@GoodTimeGranny 6d

Engaging, if not disturbing, from start to to finish.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Geeta Gandbhir

Director

Nikon Kwantu

Producer

Geeta Gandbhir

Producer

Alisa Payne

Producer

Sam Bisbee

Producer

Sam Pollard

Executive Producer

Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America

94%

80%

Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America

Watchlist

Missing from Fire Trail Road

100%

%

Missing from Fire Trail Road

Watchlist

Stolen: Heist of the Century

%

%

Stolen: Heist of the Century

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Stolen: Heist of the Century

Victim/Suspect

79%

76%

Victim/Suspect

Watchlist

Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case

86%

78%

Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awards Leaderboard: Best Movies of 2025

View more photos

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