The Perfect Neighbor

Rated R • Netflix

The Perfect Neighbor—winner of five Critics Choice awards, including best documentary—chronicles the killing of Ajike Owens, a black woman, who was shot by her white neighbor Susan Lorincz. In it, director Geeta Gandbhir provides the backstory as well as the resulting fallout.

Lorincz described herself as “the perfect neighbor,” but she was at odds with most of the residents in her Ocala, Fla., neighborhood. Her rented house abutted an empty lot in which local kids played football. Lorincz comes across as a woman obsessed with keeping noisy children away from her home. She thinks justice is on her side, repeatedly calling the police despite no laws being broken. Altercations with kids and parents escalate, and when Owens confronts Lorincz about an interaction with one of her children, Lorincz shoots her.

It’s a heartrending tragedy, but the film’s power comes from the manner in which it’s told.

The documentary uses nothing but police recordings, with the bulk of the footage coming from bodycams combined with 911 calls and investigation interviews. With this technique, The Perfect Neighbor breaks new ground, giving the viewer what feels like an unfiltered look at the facts. We hear Lorincz explain her actions. We hear the neighbors give their perspective. We even see the reactions of the police officers. A few seem sympathetic to Lorincz; most do not.

The film contains no talking heads or experts explaining the moral of the story, but Gandbhir still manages to question the wisdom of “stand your ground” laws that might unintentionally encourage recklessness. The Perfect Neighbor is a master class in getting a point across without stating it outright.