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Bad Neighbours,
2014. Directed by Nicholas STOLLER.
USA: Universal Pictures.
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Bad Neighbours (or
Neighbors) is a hilarious comedy
that tells the story of a couple with a new born baby who have to face new
challenges when a fraternity moves in next door. Whilst the trailer made me
chuckle, I went into the cinema expecting just another comedy but I was
pleasantly surprised.
Adorable couple Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are
living in their lovely suburban home with their new baby daughter Stella. They’re
constantly trying to adjust to life with a baby; they can’t go out with their
friends, they fall asleep constantly and they very rarely have uninterrupted sex
(this is shown in a very comical sequence in which they constantly have to
pause to turn Stella to face the wall). However life gets more challenging when
the house next door goes up for a sale and a fraternity, led by Zac Efron and Dave
Franco, moves in. In an attempt to avoid chaos and persuade their new neighbours
to keep the noise down, the couple try to bond with them. However when the
couple betrays the fraternity by calling the police, a war is declared and all
hell breaks loose leading us into the main storyline as the frat and the couple
fight back in turn.
The film is simple and a lot of fun. Whilst the narrative
isn’t at all complex the characters are loveable and never fail to gain your
support. Right to the very end, no matter how much I wanted the couple to win
the battle, I still found myself loving the fraternity and attempts to seek
revenge. The main cast are brilliant and supported by an extremely talented
supporting cast including Lisa Kudrow, Sumbarine’s
Craig Roberts and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Whilst I’ve always found Rogen a
talented performer, I was amazed to see Byrne prove herself to be just as
capable and a fearless comedic actress throughout the movie.
As a whole, Bad Neighbours
is a playful film, packed with jokes, well filmed party sequences and a well-chosen
cast of comedic performers. Whilst it is not as perfect as 2011’s Bridemaids, it is silly, adventurous and
never failed to make me laugh.
