Netflix’s Compelling New True Crime Documentary Nabs Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

From Making a Murderer to Tiger King, Netflix has become a preeminent purveyor of compelling true crime stories. Whether shining a light on little known cases (Amanda Knox and The Staircase) or adding new context to infamous, decades-old crimes (Night Stalker and Conversations With a Killer), the streaming giant can always be counted upon to scratch that true crime itch. And one of its newest offerings has proved to make an impact on viewers and critics alike. 

Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor arrived on Netflix in October, nine months after making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it netted Gandbhir—who got her start working as an editor with Spike Lee—a Best Director award (the film was also nominated for the festival’s Grand Jury Prize for documentaries).

What Is The Perfect Neighbor About?

The Perfect Neighbor is a fascinating retelling of the events that led to the death of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four living in Ocala, Florida. Owens lived with her children in a very family-friendly neighborhood, where the kids often spent their days playing together outside and on a grassy field that was situated next to Lorincz’s rented apartment.

Lorincz repeatedly claimed that the empty lot where the kids played was her property—a statement her landlord disputed. Still, she took it upon herself to put up “no trespassing” signs on the field, which the children mostly ignored. 

An incensed Lorincz began calling the police to report her neighbors in 2021, which is where The Perfect Neighbor begins, and follows the increasing hostility seen between Lorincz and her neighbors. Part of what makes the film so compelling is that it is told through police bodycam footage, phone calls made to 911, police interrogation videos, and courtroom footage, making the viewer feel like a witness to the events as they unfold. 

That Lorincz is white and many of her neighbors, including Owens, are Black, adds a clear element of racial tension to the story, especially as Lorincz is accused of shouting racial slurs at the neighborhood children—an accusation she does not dispute while being questioned by police.

The film’s tension builds over much of its 96-minute running time, and eventually culminates in the shooting death of Owens, who knocked on Lorincz’s door to confront her after she harassed her children. Though the windowless door was closed and locked, Lorincz fired a gun through the door, which hit Owens—who was standing outside with her 10-year-old son Israel—in the chest. 

While Lorincz claimed that she feared for her life, and shot in self defense, citing Florida’s controversial ‘stand your ground’ laws, the police investigation and forensic analysis—not to mention Lorincz’s own timeline—did not support the 58-year-old’s version of events.

What Is The Perfect Neighbor Rotten Tomatoes Score?

The Perfect Neighbor has been lauded by critics for its innovative approach to storytelling and the way it serves as a microcosm for both the legal system and racism in America. 

Slate’s Sam Adams writes that The Perfect Neighbor is “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,” while Peter Travers described it as “the scariest movie you’ll see this Halloween season” (given its October release date).

“It’s a tough but important watch that sounds the alarm on a number of issues—racism, gun ownership, and mental health, to name a few,” wrote Randy Myers for the San Jose Mercury News. While The New York Times’ Alissa Wilkinson said that it’s a film that “deserves to be broadly seen, discussed and heeded.”

Overall, The Perfect Neighbor scored a 99 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on more than 80 critics’ reviews. Audiences gave it four out of five stars, or an 81 percent, on the Popcornmeter.

The Perfect Neighbor is streaming on Netflix now.