Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by Rob Cohen, ‘The Boy Next Door‘ follows Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), a beautiful high school teacher who gets separated from her husband on account of the latter’s infidelity. Staying along with her son, she strikes up a friendship with a handsome teenager, Noah (Ryan Guzman), who moves in next door. As Noah starts spending more time with Claire and her son, he starts to playfully flirt with her. Things come to a head one stormy night when Claire gives in to the temptation. The very next morning, she realizes it was a mistake and tries to break things off, but things take a dangerous turn as Noah refuses to let go. From her home to her school, Noah ingrains himself into every part of her life while simultaneously exhibiting his violent side. The psychological thriller highlights how people with twisted minds can upend a seemingly non-threatening suburban life. The movie was created by the collaboration of motivated individuals overcoming budget and time constraints.
The Boy Next Door Filming Location
‘The Boy Next Door’ was primarily lensed in multiple locations in and around Los Angeles, California. The principal photography continued through the fall of 2013. However, the cast and crew gathered for some reshoots in December 2013 as well as in April 2014. In an interview with Collider, lead actor Jennifer Lopez shared that the film was made on a micro-budget of $4 million, and the entire shooting was wrapped up within 25 days. This made the experience of the cast and crew members extremely intense, with everyone being overwhelmed by the amount of work that they had to accomplish every day. However, they pushed through and got it done thanks to the great communication within the team.
Los Angeles, California
The majority of the scenes of ‘The Boy Next Door’ were captured in Los Angeles, with the cast and crew going all over town to capture various sequences. The most prominent location among them is Claire’s home, which is central to the narrative. It is the place where she stays with her family, and where she meets Noah for the first time after her husband moves out. The house with a lawn and driveway is situated at 1998 North Wilton Place. Right next to it is the 1900 North Wilton Place, which serves as Noah’s home. The street is part of the mid-Wilshire region, which is known as a melting pot for classic and modern architecture.
John Monroe High School, where Claire is employed as a teacher and Noah later enrolls as a student, is the second most prominent location featured in the film. The Birmingham Community Charter High School, located at 17000 Haynes Street in LA’s Lake Balboa neighborhood, stood in for the fictional institution. Formerly known as Birmingham High School, the institution boasts strong academic departments of English Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, World Languages, Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Physical Education, Career Technical Arts, and a department of Special Programs. The school has notably featured in a number of other productions as a result of its proximity to Hollywood. This includes television shows such as ‘Monk,’ ‘The Office,’ ‘Scrubs,’ ‘Nip/Tuck,’ and ‘NCIS.’
‘The Boy Next Door’ also features a hardware store that is located at 6326 York Boulevard, as well as stores that include 451 Gin Ling Way in Chinatown. The vibrant locales help ground the story that involves everyday characters from the suburbs. Chinatown has been popular among Hollywood filmmakers for ages as an easily accessible “exotic” locale. Productions that took place with the region in the backdrop include ‘Zodiac,’ ‘Wolfs,’ ‘Nightcrawler,’ ‘Chinatown,’ and ‘Run Sweetheart Run.’
Santa Clarita, California
The natural landscape of the Placerita Canyon, near Newhall in the city of Santa Clarita, formed the backdrop for some scenes in ‘The Boy Next Door.’ Filming in the region took place in December 2013. The Placerita Canyon runs east-west and is shaded by oak groves, as well as willow and sycamore trees. The region is popular for its thriving flora and fauna, and as such has been featured in many films and television productions. These include ‘The Accountant 2,’ ‘The Killer,’ ‘The Little Things,’ ‘Countdown,’ and ‘Criminal Minds.’
You must be logged in to post a comment.