The Boy Next Door 2015

As Kevin’s birthday approaches, a surprise guest arrives at dinner - Garrett, his father. The occasion is marked by an unexpected invitation: a fishing trip to San Francisco, where secrets and deception await. While Claire politely declines, Kevin is free to join his father on their ill-fated adventure, still reeling from the fallout of Garrett’s infidelity.

Meanwhile, in the midst of household chaos, Claire finds herself at a standstill when her garage door becomes stuck. Enter Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman), a charming young man and nephew of Claire’s wheelchair-bound neighbor. With his uncle’s blessing, Noah offers to help fix the garage door and soon finds himself embroiled in an unlikely friendship with Kevin.

As their bond grows, so does the anticipation of a new chapter for all three characters. The hardware store visit with Noah proves to be a turning point, as they discover that they will attend the same high school, where Claire teaches classic literature. It’s here that Kevin meets Allie Callahan (Lexi Atkins), the object of his affections, and is given the courage to take a chance by his new friend Noah.

However, just as things are looking up, their tranquility is disrupted by Jason Zimmer (Adam Hicks) and his cohorts, who descend upon the hardware store like a gang. Kevin finds himself at the center of an uncomfortable confrontation, with Noah by his side to offer support.

As the days pass, Noah’s presence in their lives becomes more pronounced. He spends quality time with Kevin while his uncle is hospitalized, forging a deeper connection with the family. Claire, too, warms up to Noah, impressed by his erudite references to Homer and “The Iliad”. Her admiration is tempered only by her own insecurities, as revealed in the discovery of Vicky’s provocative gift - stilettos that serve as a reminder of her own struggles with femininity.

As Garrett and Kevin embark on their trip, Claire is left to ponder her feelings about Noah. Little does she know that she has already been caught off guard by his innocence, gazing upon him in the nude while he was unaware of her presence behind the curtains.

As Claire embarks on a double date with Vicky and her beau Ethan (Travis Schuldt) alongside his buddy Couper (Brian Mahoney), she is met with condescension from the latter, who takes umbrage with her affinity for classic literature and patronizes her with a flippant remark. His gaze wanders to a waitress, further piquing Claire’s ire. Feeling disrespected, she makes a hasty exit from the restaurant and returns home.

Later, Noah reaches out to Claire, sharing his struggles with defrosting a chicken in the microwave. He invites her over to help him cook it properly, and as they work together, their mutual attraction simmers beneath the surface. Despite Claire’s reservations about pursuing a relationship with Noah, he continues to charm her, and their passion eventually boils over into a night of intense intimacy.

However, the morning after brings with it a wave of regret for Claire, who confesses to Noah that what they shared was wrong. His anger is palpable as he vents his frustration by punching a wall, leaving him with bloodied knuckles.

As Kevin and Garrett return from their trip, they join Claire for lunch, only to be interrupted by Noah’s sudden appearance. Claire brings out a plate of cookies, and Noah inquires whether she had shared any secrets while the guys were away. She responds by referencing a recent rainstorm, prompting Noah to smirk knowingly. When Kevin offers him a cookie, Noah’s reply - “I love your mother’s cookies” - is laced with an air of familiarity.

As the school year commences, Claire begins her first class only to be informed that Noah will be joining their class, thanks to his dubious hacking skills, which had manipulated her computer. She realizes too late that he had been behind her computer all along.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Noah develop a bond, despite Claire’s growing unease with Noah’s presence. Noah takes Kevin on a trip to the woods, where they engage in target practice using a gun belonging to his uncle. As part of their bonding experience, Noah sets up an array of oranges and subtly manipulates Kevin into harboring resentment towards his father for having an affair with Claire - a revelation that explodes at dinner when Garrett arrives.

As tensions simmer between the friends, Kevin seeks solace in physical activity by joining Noah at the school gym. However, he becomes overexerted and begins to experience signs of shock. Quick-thinking Noah rushes to the locker, retrieves Kevin’s epipen, and injects it into his leg, saving him from a potentially dire outcome.

As Vicky arrives at work with a bouquet of flowers, she and Claire share a knowing glance, both attributing the gesture to Garrett’s romantic overtures. However, when Claire calls him out on the surprise, he vehemently denies any involvement, prompting Claire to suspect Noah as the culprit. A chance encounter in the school gym leads to a heated confrontation between Claire and Noah, with a teacher intervening just in time to prevent things from escalating further.

Meanwhile, Kevin finds himself back at the hardware store, mustering the courage to ask Allie out on a movie date. Though she declines his invitation, she expresses interest in attending the upcoming fall fling together. As fate would have it, Claire and Garrett embark on a date, with the latter exhibiting an unmistakable eagerness to move forward from their past indiscretions. However, Noah’s keen observational skills allow him to pick up on Claire’s lingering unease, leading him to confront her with a mixture of anger and hurt.

The next morning, Kevin stumbles upon Noah’s heated exchange with Claire, which only serves to fuel his own frustration stemming from his parents’ recent behavior. As such, he decides to ride to school with Noah, who is still seething from the previous day’s events. The tension between them simmers just below the surface until Jason and his cohorts arrive, prompting Kevin to stand up for himself. However, before things can escalate further, Noah intervenes, delivering a vicious blow to Jason that sends him crashing into a locker.

Vicky, who happens to be the vice principal, rushes in to quell the chaos, only to find herself on the receiving end of Noah’s wrath when he delivers a scathing verbal attack. Undeterred, she raises her hand to strike back, but Noah is one step ahead, catching her and leaving the scene with his expulsion hanging precariously in the balance.

As Claire takes on chaperone duties at the fall fling, she entrusts Kevin with Allie’s care, unaware of the developing romantic connection between the two. Later that night, Allie reveals a concerning issue with the boy’s bathroom sink to Claire, who sets out to rectify the situation only to stumble upon a jarring declaration scrawled across the wall: “I fucked Claire Peterson.” Just as she begins to feel uneasy, Noah emerges from the shadows, his intentions far from pure. A swift kick to the groin sends him reeling, and Claire issues a stern warning, cautioning him to steer clear of both her and Kevin.

The following day, Claire’s students are left standing outside her classroom, their faces etched with confusion as they peer through the door at the chaos within. As their teacher, Claire (opens the door to reveal a disturbing sight - hundreds of explicit photographs plastered across every available surface, each one documenting her intimate moments with Noah. Her expression frozen in shock, she abandons her students outside and frantically sets about destroying the evidence as the principal arrives on the scene. With the door open, the principal can’t help but notice Claire’s disheveled appearance and broach the subject of her recent behavior, specifically referencing the heated confrontation with Noah that took place in the school gym.

Meanwhile, Garrett (takes Kevin home from school, whereupon Kevin seizes control of the car and begins to drive at breakneck speeds. His anger and resentment towards his father still simmering, he’s unable to slow down due to a faulty brake system. A series of close calls ensues as Kevin narrowly avoids colliding with two other vehicles before Garrett intervenes, expertly guiding the car into a row of water containers on the road.

As Claire returns home, she’s greeted by a dented garage door and an air of secrecy surrounding her family members. Garrett and Kevin assure her that everything is fine, but their body language tells a different story. The tension is palpable as they settle in for a quiet evening with Noah, who appears to be oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.

However, Claire’s patience wears thin when she discovers the extent of Noah’s obsession. He reveals that he’s been recording their intimate moments on video and demands payment - a continuation of their physical relationship. Refusing to comply, Claire makes her exit, leaving Noah to seethe in frustration.

Seeking guidance from her friend Vicky, Claire confides in her about the photographs and Noah’s blackmail attempts. Vicky advises her to take matters into her own hands, suggesting that she infiltrate Noah’s home to retrieve the incriminating evidence for herself.

As fate would have it, Noah misinterprets Vicky’s car as Claire’s, prompting him to follow her back to her house. Little does he know, Vicky has been placed at the center of a web of deceit, and Claire is about to uncover the truth.

With Vicky’s help, Claire gains entry into Noah’s home, where she discovers a hidden camera above the fireplace and a basement filled with disturbing images of herself. Her anger boiling over, she sets about destroying the evidence, only to stumble upon two files that suggest Noah was responsible for sabotaging not just Garrett’s car but also a minivan. With her suspicions confirmed, Claire makes a hasty retreat back home.

As the night wears on, Noah’s uncle appears at his doorstep, further adding to the sense of unease and uncertainty surrounding Claire.

As Claire sits down with a detective, the truth about Noah’s troubled past begins to unravel like a tangled thread. The investigation reveals that Noah’s parents met their untimely demise in a devastating car accident, triggered by his father’s reckless swerve into a truck. This revelation sends Claire on a somber journey to the scene of the tragedy, where she discovers the mangled remains of the minivan eerily matching the one listed on Noah’s laptop.

Back at home, Claire reaches out to her friend Vicky, but their conversation is abruptly interrupted by an unexpected knock at the door. Initially convinced it’s Noah, Claire is startled into inviting Kevin over to Vicky’s house instead. As they socialize, Vicky’s evening takes a dark turn when Noah suddenly appears, overpowers her, and silences her with a gag.

Noah then reaches out to Kevin, luring him to Vicky’s residence with a sinister invitation. Meanwhile, a terrified Vicky is left bound and helpless as Noah continues his twisted game. He uses a recorded message of Vicky’s voice to manipulate Claire into joining them at the house, where she’s met with an unsettling darkness and the eerie silence of cut-off lights.

As Claire navigates the treacherous terrain, her fear gives way to horror when Vicky’s cat startles her, sending her stumbling towards a closet that suddenly swings open, revealing the gruesome discovery of Vicky’s lifeless body. Noah had brutally slit her throat. Claire’s screams shatter the night as she flees the house, only to find herself face-to-face with Noah once more.

This time, however, Claire isn’t fooled by his façade. She confronts him with the brutal truth about his parents’ deaths, and Noah’s defenses begin to crumble like a crumbling facade. He reveals that he had loved his mother dearly, but her tragic suicide followed by his father’s infidelity left him heartbroken and hell-bent on exacting revenge. The brakes of the minivan had been cut, ensuring the demise not only of his father but also the mistress who had shattered their family’s harmony.

As Noah leads Claire to a rustic barnhouse, he reveals his true intentions: holding Garrett and Kevin captive. His menacing tone brooks no argument as he demands Claire’s compliance, threatening to eliminate the pair unless she agrees to remain by his side. Her defiance is swift and decisive, as she seizes a wrench and delivers a series of precise strikes that send Noah crashing to the ground. With her attention now focused on Kevin, she frantically works to free him from his restraints, but Noah’s persistence proves unyielding. He douses Garrett and Kevin in kerosene, then produces a lighter, only for Claire’s timely intervention to foil his plans. The barnhouse erupts into flames as Noah’s grip on reality begins to slip.

As the inferno spreads, Garrett manages to break free, wrapping the rope around Noah’s throat in a desperate bid for freedom. Noah retaliates with his gun, firing a fatal shot that sends Garrett crashing to the ground. Undeterred, Claire seizes Kevin’s epipen and delivers a precise jab to Noah’s eye, prompting a geyser of pus and blood to erupt from the wound. Her efforts to free Kevin are rebuffed by Noah’s continued resistance, prompting her to take drastic measures: inserting her finger into his eye with reckless abandon.

The turning point arrives as Kevin finally breaks free, using a nearby block of wood to deliver a crushing blow that sends Noah stumbling back. His aim still fixed on Kevin, Noah raises his gun, but Claire intervenes once more, her voice dripping with scorn as she labels him a “hero” who would stoop so low. As the flames engulf the barnhouse, Claire executes a daring plan, pulling a lever that brings down an engine to finally extinguish Noah’s malevolent presence.

With their tormentor vanquished, Claire and Kevin pull Garrett to safety, walking out of the inferno as paramedics and police arrive on the scene. As they transport Garrett to the ambulance, accompanied by Claire and Kevin, she continues to reassure him that everything will be okay, and they’re finally headed home.