🚨The Perfect Neighbor (2025) – A Chilling True-Crime Documentary Coming to Netflix
- Boxofficehype
- Sep 24
- 2 min read
One woman. Dozens of 911 calls. A close-knit neighborhood plunged into fear. What begins as relentless harassment of children spirals into a shocking act of violence in The Perfect Neighbor — the new 2025 American documentary from award-winning filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir.
Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Directing Award, this powerful documentary arrives in select theaters on October 10, 2025, followed by a global Netflix release on October 17, 2025.
📖 The Premise
On June 2, 2023, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens, a mother of four, was murdered by her neighbor Susan Lorincz in Ocala, Florida.
Through gripping police bodycam footage, the documentary reconstructs the long-running disputes between Owens and Lorincz — confrontations that escalated into tragedy. It dives deep into questions of fear, prejudice, community breakdown, and the controversial Stand Your Ground laws.
As the film warns, sometimes the greatest dangers lie closest to home.
🎬 Behind the Camera
Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir
Producers: Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee
Cinematography: Alfredo De Lara
Editing: Viridiana Lieberman
Music: Laura Heinzinger
Executive produced by Soledad O’Brien, the documentary is a collaboration between Message Pictures, Park
Pictures, and Soledad O'Brien Productions.
The project began when Gandbhir, whose partner Nikon Kwantu knew Owens personally, decided to document the events to ensure Owens’ story was not forgotten.
🏆 Festival Journey & Acclaim
World Premiere: Sundance Film Festival – January 24, 2025
Award: Directing Award, U.S. Documentary Competition
Screened at: South by Southwest (SXSW) – March 9, 2025
The film generated strong conversations at festivals for its raw, unflinching storytelling. Netflix quickly secured distribution rights in a $5 million deal, signaling its potential as one of the year’s most impactful true-crime releases.
🕰️ Release Schedule
Limited Theatrical Release: October 10, 2025
Streaming Release (Netflix): October 17, 2025
Runtime: 94 minutes
💡 Why The Perfect Neighbor Matters
Unlike many true-crime stories, The Perfect Neighbor is more than a recounting of violence. It’s a piercing look at:
How fear and prejudice can erode community trust.
The consequences of repeated warnings ignored by authorities.
The complex role of Stand Your Ground laws in American society.
With its blend of intimate personal connections and harrowing real-world implications, the documentary forces us to confront a terrifying question: What if your neighbor became your greatest threat?
🌟 Final Thoughts
With its tense storytelling, bodycam authenticity, and festival acclaim, The Perfect Neighbor is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s most talked-about documentaries of 2025.
🎥 Mark your calendars: The Perfect Neighbor releases in select theaters on October 10, 2025, and globally on Netflix October 17, 2025.
👉 A film that will leave you questioning the thin line between safety, justice, and fear.