However, this one-night stand proves to be a long-term nightmare for Claire.Ĭue the transformation of the forward lover into the obsessive stalker. Noticing each of these attributes, as well as Noah’s coquetry, Claire gives into his advances and they consummate the relationship. He’s strong (he saves Claire from being overpowered by a garage door), he’s handy (he fixes cars, of course), he’s smart (he shares Claire’s love of literature and the classics), and he’s loyal (he immediately bonds with and becomes protective of Kevin). Noah moves in next door to Claire and her son, Kevin (Ian Nelson), to take care of his ailing uncle and it doesn’t take long for him to win the trust of Kevin and the lustful eyes of Claire. With Garrett gone, Claire’s life is missing that dream-like, brawny beau - that is, until Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman) enters the picture. The film opens with a high school classics teacher, Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), who is still adjusting to her separation from her adulterous husband, Garrett (John Corbett). All this aside, its attractive cast and their surprisingly intense acting, which includes Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman’s passionate flirtation, will undoubtedly succeed in drawing big crowds. Instead, it reads like a watered down “Fatal Attraction” and certainly follows the predictable formula of love-turned-obsessive films of its kind. ★★★☆☆Īs far as psychological thrillers go, “The Boy Next Door” does not offer any novel interpretations to the story of a love affair gone wrong.
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Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman play Claire Peterson and Noah Sandborn in “The Boy Next Door,” a film that tests the bounds between love and obsession.