The Burbs (1989)
When Nit-Pickers Go Nuts: Suburbia’s Dark Side Gets Weird
Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) looks forward to a quiet vacation at home in his suburban neighborhood, but his peace is shattered when the eerie, reclusive Klopek family moves in next door. Ray and his neighborly cronies Art Weingartner and Lt. Mark Rumsfield grow suspicious after strange noises, buried skeletons, and bizarre behavior lead them down a rabbit hole of paranoia and wild speculation. What starts as harmless nosing around soon escalates into full-blown mystery, slapstick horror, and comic paranoia among manicured lawns and perfectly trimmed hedges.
Directed by Joe Dante, The ’Burbs mixes bite-sized horror and off-beat comedy to poke fun at suburban etiquette, gossip, and fear of the other. Dante uses strong performances from a great cast (including Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher) to ground the absurdity, while the movie leans into visual and tonal shifts from cozy neighborhood bliss to darker, uncanny terror. The result? A funny, creepy and ultimately unforgettable film that shows sometimes the scariest thing is what we imagine next door.
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Genre: Comedy
Director: Joe Dante
Rated: PG
