The Perfect Neighbor Review: Examining a Notorious Shooting Through the Lens of a Florida Officer's Body-Cam

The real-life crime genre has an innovative format, or perhaps even a whole new language and structure: police body cam footage. Countenances of those harmed, observers and possible perpetrators appear suddenly to the cameras, at times in the intense brightness of headlights or flashlights as the officers approach, their faces and voices expressing wariness or panic or anger or suspiciously contrived innocence. And we often catch sight of the faces of the law enforcement personnel, one waiting impassively while the other asks the questions with what occasionally seems like extraordinary diffidence – though perhaps this is because they are aware they are being recorded.

A Growing Trend in Documentary Filmmaking

We have previously seen the Netflix true-crime documentary The Gabby Petito Case, about the slaying of an Instagram influencer by her boyfriend, whose primary focus was body cam footage and in which, as in this film, the police seemed extraordinarily lax with the suspect. There is also the acclaimed short film Incident by Bill Morrison, composed entirely of body cam film. Now comes a new film by Geeta Gandbhir about the tragic incident of Ajike Owens in a city in Florida, a woman of colour whose children allegedly harassed and tormented her neighbor, Susan Lorincz. In 2023, after an increasing number of neighborhood conflicts in which the police were summoned multiple times, the accused fatally shot Owens through her locked door, when Owens went to Lorincz’s house to address her about throwing objects at her children.

The Investigation and State Laws

The arresting officers found evidence that the suspect had done internet searches into the state's self-defense statutes, which permit householders and others to shoot if there is a significant presumption of danger. The movie builds its story with the body cam footage generated during the repeated police visits to the location before the killing, and then at the horrific and chaotic incident site itself – prefaced by emergency call recordings of the caller calling the police in a melodramatically shaky voice. There is also police cell footage of the individual which has a chilly, queasy fascination.

Portrayal of the Accused

The film does not really suggest anything too complicated about the neighbor, or any extenuating circumstance. She is obviously disturbed, although the kids are heard calling her “the Karen”, an hurtful taunt. The production is presented as an example of how self-defense regulations generate senseless and tragic violence. But the reality of gun ownership and the second amendment (that longstanding U.S. legal right that a deceased pundit notoriously said made gun deaths a necessary cost) is not much highlighted.

Police Interrogation and Firearm Norms

It is feasible to watch the police interrogation scenes here and feel surprised at how minimal concern the police took in this point. At what time did she purchase the firearm? Where (if anywhere) did she train in its use? Had she ever had occasion to fire it before? Where did she store it in the house? Could it have been easily accessible and prepared? The police aren’t shown asking any of these surely relevant questions (though they could have inquired in recordings that didn’t make the edit). Or is possessing a firearm so normal it would be like asking about microwaves or bread heaters?

Detention and Consequences

For what seemed to her neighbors a extended period, the suspect was not even arrested and charged, only detained and even offered a hotel stay away from home for the night (another point of comparison, by the way, with the a prior incident). And when she was ultimately officially taken into custody in the holding cell, there is an extraordinary sequence in which Lorincz simply refuses to stand, will not extend her arms for the handcuffs, not hostilely, but with the politely self-pitying air of someone whose psychological state means that she is unable to comply. Did the gentle handling up until that point led her to think that this might actually work?

Conclusion and Verdict

It didn’t; and the panel's decision is revealed in the end titles. A very sombre picture of U.S. justice and consequences.