The Boys Next Door (1985) Reviews

• chilling!

  saint-211999-03-16

  After seeing this gritty drama, then you wonder why there are nuts in the world. The movie is more ( in a weird kinda way), like a docudrama. It shows how 2 people can become alienated and rejected from society, to become heartless animals. Not to justify what they do, but if these two boys were somewhat loved, maybe they wouldn't be cold blooded killers. There's a scene where one of the teens father ignores him totally. That is shocking. But watching it will disturb you.

• A Realistic, Powerful, Hard Hitting Film That Shouldn't Be Missed

  Adam E1999-01-05

  THE BOYS NEXT DOOR is one of the most intense and powerful movies I've ever seen. Charlie Sheen and Maxwell Caulfield are excellent and the film is very well written and directed. Sheen and Caulfield are two bored teens who decide after graduating, to take a little vacation where they become violent and go on a killing spree, killing whoever gets in their way. Everything feels real and it delivers a true, shocking message. I think this is an amazing movie and even though it didn't get a lot of attention when released, I think it deserves more attention now and shouldn't be missed by anyone.

• Just as good as I remember....

  delerius2002-04-05

  I saw this movie for the first time 8-9 years ago when I accidently zapped into it on cable tv. I remember it made strong impression on me and that I liked it a lot. Now almost 10 years later I bought the DVD and I must say it makes just as strong impression now. The movie is great & shocking and really makes you think what some people are capable of. I recommend this to everyone that want something more then just the ordinary action movies, but be aware,the movie is very violent and probably not suitable for everyone...

• Teen angst at its worst.

  TOMASBBloodhound2006-08-27

  The Boys Next Door is an ugly, but generally gripping film about two losers who decide on a whim to spend the weekend in Los Angeles after graduating from high school. Charlie Sheen (Bo) and Maxwell Caulfield (Roy) play these two punks pretty convincingly, and this low-budget film lets them flex their muscles while terrorizing anyone unlucky enough to get in their path. The film begins by showing us pictures of seemingly normal-looking serial killers while at the same time using audio commentary to detail the number of victims they had. The actions of the two in this film really don't seem to be patterned after any particular killer, but this early footage is just trying to tell us that virtually anyone we see might have violent tendencies. We see a little of their last day of school. Bo strikes out with a hot chick. Nobody wants them to come to a big party later that night. The boys crash it anyway. Roy pisses in the pool, and the boys steal the family dog and take it with them out to L.A.. Once the guys get to L.A., pure mayhem ensues. First of all, they beat an Iranian clerk at a gas station senseless, nearly killing him. Then, they go to the beach and hit an old lady in the head with a beer bottle. Later on that evening, these two hoodlums graduate to murder. They pick up a gay man at a gay bar and kill him at his place in West Hollywood. Then they murder a young couple just because they're jealous that they can't get a hot chick like the young woman. Things are capped off by the senseless killing of a new-age hippie woman while she's getting it on with Bo. Roy seems to get jealous, then he violently shakes her to death after dissing her new-age values. By then, the cops are hot on their trail, and they corner the two punks at a shopping mall. The conclusion may or may not surprise you. The acting is very good. Sheen is decent enough, but Caulfield is the guy you will remember. This in not the same Maxwell Caulfield we were rooting for in Grease 2. This guy is one seriously screwed-up individual who takes to murder like a fish to water. Penelope Spheeris does a very good job with the limited budget in one of her earliest efforts. When watching this film now, you can't help but be reminded of the Columbine tragedy of 1999. The kids that caused that bloodbath were probably a lot like Bo and Roy. For some reason, they just couldn't conform, and they saw no other alternative but to take out their frustration on society. There also seems to be a bit of social commentary with the final ten minutes of the film taking place in the mall. I think the film is trying to say that kids of the 1980s were a bankrupt generation who had nowhere else to turn from their problems except shopping malls or other consumer venues. Arcades, too, for that matter. Overall, this is an ugly film that will make you think about it for quite a while after it's over. 7 of 10 stars. The Hound.

• disturbing and funny

  rogerebertisfat2006-01-11

  First off, don't listen to the comments by the moron from Pleasant Valley, New Mexico. Maxwell Caulfield couldn't possibly be doing his version of "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer" since "The Boys Next Door" came out BEFORE it. In fact, since "The Boys Next Door" came out in 1985, it's pretty safe to say that "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer" (which came out in 1986) borrowed from it, not the other way around. Regardless, this movie has a great soundtrack and really funny dialogue ("Two Blacks and a Mexican.") Scenes so outrageous that they're actually funny (gas station beating). Now, while it's not the greatest film in existence, the fact that the (life- like) violence in the movie could really happen (and sad to say, similarly HAS really happened before), make this movie better than a lot of movies out today. The acting is pretty good, especially Maxwell Caulfield (probably his best performance). I'd recommend this movie to anyone, especially if you grew up in the '80s. People who don't like it are usually over-analyzing it a bit too much. Too many people are looking for "social commentary" when watching movies. They usually end up not liking many films. They forget the simplest thing: movies are made to entertain, bottom line.