Telling the police you saw a girl get kidnapped while dealing with imaginary bugs under your skin? Tricky. Recruiting a retired security guard who tells kids to get off his lawn every morning to help? Even trickier.
Jack Quaid’s Simon handles mayhem, murder and mental health in “Neighborhood Watch.” He witnesses a kidnapping and urges the police to help. But, after looking up his record, they ignore the paranoid schizophrenic.
Simon follows plan Z: get help from the neighborhood Karen, Jeffery Dean Morgan’s Ed Deerman, a has-been college campus officer. Looking to redefine his legacy as the guy who chased drunk students, Ed straightens his mustache to play detective.
Ed and Simon then interrogate prostitutes, commit blackmail and anger pimps to discover if what Simon saw is more reality than delusion. No matter the answer, director Duncan Skiles wanted Simon’s struggles to feel real.
“I put in the work into researching it,” Skiles said. “Do you think [the audience] will be able to see themselves through Simon? I hope so.”
Props in Simon’s home were Skiles’ Bible during production. “The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia” and “When the Sun Bursts: The Enigma of Schizophrenia” walked him through Simon’s mind.
Seeing how the illness changed families’ lives gave him the confidence to tackle the underrepresented challenges schizophrenics face, like vocal hallucinations from dead, abusive parents.
“I became more confident in this basic understanding that what a voice is can be thought of as an expression of an interior trauma,” Skiles said. “Those are things that we all deal with.”
With stars from famous franchises such as “The Boys” and “The Walking Dead” leading the film, a gripping, complex portrayal of mental illness seemed inevitable. But, there was one problem: money.
“A lot of stuff got cut,” Skiles said. “As the budget kept getting squeezed, we’ve had to cut more.”
The obstacle was a blessing in disguise. It made Skiles focus more on Simon and Ed’s dynamic, balancing the film’s comedy and suspense with showing how friendship can rise above hardship.
Losing special effect sequences made “Neighborhood Watch” not another fish-out-of-water crime drama. Skiles aims Quaid and Morgan’s star power at an unexpected heartwarming story. According to Variety and Film Threat, he hits the target.
“We’ve all got problems and anxiety, and there’s something about being present and paying attention to the people around you is super vulnerable,” Skiles said. “Reaching out of your bubble and trying to connect with somebody is super important.”
If that’s not enough, feel free to message Skiles for a full refund.
“The refund might be in the form of leftover cards from my baseball card collection,” Skiles said. “But, yeah, the offer stands.”
Watch “Neighborhood Watch” on Apple TV and Prime Video for $6.99. Buy it and enjoy a thrilling yet warm crime thriller. Or don’t, and get your money back. It’s a win-win.