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The Boys Next Door

The Boys Next Door

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1986

Roy and Bo leave their small town the weekend after graduation for a short road trip to LA. Soon, they find themselves lashing out and leaving a trail of bodies behind them. The violence escalates throughout.

Movie details

The Boys Next Door

“The anger. The destructiveness. The urge to kill in cold blood. They weren't born with it...”

1986 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 31m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Roy and Bo leave their small town the weekend after graduation for a short road trip to LA. Soon, they find themselves lashing out and leaving a trail of bodies behind them. The violence escalates throughout.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Boys Next Door?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Drive

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Drama · 2011

Driver is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he's been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene and her young son, Benicio. When Irene's husband gets out of jail, he enlists Driver's help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.

Bound by Honor

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Crime · 1993

Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.

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Suburbicon

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In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Penelope Spheeris

Written by

James Wong · Glen Morgan

Maxwell Caulfield

Maxwell Caulfield

Roy Alston

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen

Bo Richards

Patti D'Arbanville

Patti D'Arbanville

Angie

Christopher McDonald

Christopher McDonald

Detective Mark Woods

Moon Unit Zappa

Moon Unit Zappa

Nancy

Hank Garrett

Hank Garrett

Detective Ed Hanley

P

Paul C. Dancer

Chris

Court is in session

Put The Boys Next Door on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.