The Perfect Neighbor director reveals the one heartbreaking scene she chose not to include

If you thought The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix couldn’t get any more emotional, director Geeta Gandbhir has revealed that there was one deeply distressing scene she left out in the final cut of the documentary.

The Netflix film tells the story of Ajike “AJ” Owens. She was a Black mother of four who was shot and killed by her neighbour, Susan Lorincz, in Ocala, Florida. The documentary is raw, powerful, and incredibly moving. But as it turns out, there’s even more heartbreaking footage that viewers never saw.

So, what was left out of The Perfect Neighbor and why?

via Netflix

In an interview with Decider, Gandbhir explained that the team decided not to include a particularly traumatic moment from the police body-cam footage taken on the night AJ was killed. “There’s footage that’s even more challenging to see [that we didn’t include] of them trying to revive Ajike,” she said. “We didn’t want it to feel exploitative. We wanted to show just enough so that the audience could be immersed in the moment, how terrifying it was, how terrible it was. But we still chose to put in some of the hardest things to see.”

Gandbhir also revealed that she spoke directly with AJ’s mother, Pamela Dias, about how much of the footage should be shown. “I talked to her about it. I was like, ‘Look, there’s some really challenging stuff. How do you feel about this?’ She was like, ‘Put it in. Everybody needs to see what happened.’”

Aj’s mother is hoping for a movement – ‘she wants change’

via Netflix

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The director explained that her goal was to make viewers confront the reality of gun violence, even when it’s painful to watch. “We are numb to gun violence, but here you are seeing the true, immediate aftermath of gun violence. This is what happens. People have to tell their family members that someone is gone. What we are asking, as filmmakers, is for the audience to bear witness. It’s hard. But if we don’t bear witness, these kinds of crimes continue to be perpetrated in the dark. We need to shine a light.”

Reflecting on the importance of showing the truth, Gandbhir also drew a parallel to the video of George Floyd’s murder. “The video of his murder, which is horrendous, and we’re all traumatised by it, it sparked a movement. That’s what Pam is hoping for. She wants change.”

The moment may not have made it into the final cut of The Perfect Neighbor, but it clearly remains one of the most difficult and emotional parts of the story, both for the family and for those who told it.

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