The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door (Greenfield, 2004)

The promotional marketing was deceiving; the trailers suggested a silly teenager comedy except it turned out to be a rather dark comedy about the relationship between a high school senior and a young porn star who wants to escape show business. He’s a social outcast, an honor student who plays by the rules and when he develops a crush on the new girl next door (hence the title), his world turns topsy-turvy. The premise is ripe for all sorts of hilarity, but the filmmakers decide to put a slight twist on what could have been a conventional comedy about horny teenagers which almost pays off. The transition into a darker drama is slighty jarring making for plot holes and silly character motivations with no payoff. Cuthbert is the definition of sexy and her sympathetic portrayal of a porn star with a “heart of gold” is pretty much the film’s only saving grace. It’s disposable and probably best viewed on cable television when there’s nothing else on.

4/10