The Perfect Neighbor director has huge connection to the case, that makes it even more chilling

Literally everyone who has watched The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix has reflected on just how sad the story is. It’s truly heartbreaking, from start to finish. The director of The Perfect Neighbor has recently shared why the film was created, and if you thought it couldn’t get any more sad, it might just be about to.

Susan Lorincz was found guilty of the manslaughter of Ajike Owens. Ajike Owens was Susan’s neighbour, and the Black woman and mother-of-four was shot and killed by a single bullet. Susan Lorincz had fired the shot, through her closed front door. This came after months of disagreements regarding where the local kids were allowed to play.

The director of The Perfect Neighbor has said her personal connection to Ajike Owens was what made her want to make the film, and described it as a “horror film” in parts.

Geeta Gandbhir, via Netflix

The director of The Perfect Neighbor has a personal connection to the case

Geeta Gandbhir, the director of The Perfect Neighbor, knew Ajike “AJ” Owens. Ajike Owens was the best friend of the director’s sister-in-law. Before a film at Netflix was even considered, Gandbhir had created films about the case. She filmed protests and vigils, sharing footage with local news outlets in order to make sure more people knew Ajike’s story.

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According to Esquire, Geeta Gandbhir hadn’t ever thought about a full feature film. This was until access to the bodycam footage was granted. After seeing the footage, as well as 911 recordings and other material, Gandbhir realised there was enough to tell the story from the inside. “It’s institutional footage,” she told Variety. “Right now, there’s a lot of doubt about authenticity. I believed people would trust what they were seeing as it unfolded.”

Speaking more about how the documentary progressed with telling the story, she added: “You have these revelations that make you deeply uncomfortable throughout. It’s a horror film in many ways.”

The Perfect Neighbor is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.