When officers brutally beat Rodney King in 1991, and a bystander filmed it, the footage set a significant precedent. This was unfiltered and raw real-life footage of a crime taking place. Not to say that other crimes haven’t been caught on camera, but the video exposed the brutality and the officers’ intentions beyond any reasonable doubt. Something similar happened with the killing of Ajike Owens, a murder victim whose case is the subject of Netflix‘s latest true crime hit, The Perfect Neighbor.
The Perfect Neighbor has gathered more than 16 million views since it premiered on Netflix. It is one of the platform’s most successful documentary launches, and could become one of the most-viewed in its true crime catalog. It is the documentary’s exclusive use of archival evidence (i.e., real-life footage) that will keep you hooked. It’s a case in which the traditional format simply wouldn’t have the same impact.
As viewers, it’s hard not to instantly judge the culprit of the racially charged crime and let emotions take hold of the moment. But The Perfect Neighbor should also be seen as an outstanding achievement in documentary direction. Director Geeta Gandbhir puts together the most important documentary of the year by exclusively using evidentiary footage – from police bodycams and Ring cameras, which documented what may have motivated Susan Louise Lorincz to shoot Owens, the crime itself, and its aftermath.
Gandbhir respectfully avoids the cinematic sin of excess, choosing not to show the crime itself. The Perfect Neighbor is a short movie, but ultimately, it feels like a jarring and long journey through a failed society where laws remain on the side of those who willfully choose to use violence, justifying it with the ancient loopholes of an absurd justice system.
What Is ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ About?
On June 2, 2023, 35-year-old Ajike Owens was shot and killed by her neighbor, Susan Louise Lorincz. Police quickly arrived, and although paramedics took Owens to a hospital, she was pronounced dead soon after. She was a mother of four.
However, it wasn’t the first time the law enforcement agents had responded to a call in the Ocala neighborhood. Since January 2021, police responded to numerous 911 calls in the area. Lorincz was the caller in most cases, frequently reporting her neighbors. Per her complaints, Owens’ children, as well as others from families residing on the same street, were trespassing on her property. For more than two years, police went to the same neighborhood and heard numerous complaints from Lorincz regarding her neighbors. However, the neighbors claimed that Lorincz used racial slurs and exaggerated about the children’s behavior.
According to Lorincz’s statement, Owens threatened her on that fateful night. Without even opening her front door, Lorincz reacted to the supposed threats and shot her firearm once, hitting Owens in the chest. Owens’ son pleaded for someone to call 911 as he tried to save his mother. Lorincz never opened her front door during the encounter.
While many expected Lorincz to be tried immediately, The Perfect Neighbor reveals a legal loophole she used to delay prosecution. The stand-your-ground law essentially allows individuals to use deadly force against others if they feel threatened. More than a year after the crime, a jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter and sentenced her to 25 years in prison.
A Violent Crime Is Exposed and Solved in the Digital Era
The film documents the events through the use of footage captured by police bodycams and Ring cameras. Afterward, all the footage comes from surveillance cameras (the police interrogation recordings in particular stand out), and those used by journalists in the courtroom. There are no interviews or staged testimonials, only unscripted footage. There are occasional voice-overs, though they don’t add much to the documentary.
How hard is it to put together a well-rounded story without the liberty to use dramatizations or a scripted narrative? Gandbhir is probably suited to answer this better, but given the obvious limitations, The Perfect Neighbor stands out as a perfectly edited chronicle about a horrific crime. It feels unsettling to associate rising tension with such a tragic outcome, yet it seems inevitable given the extensive documentation leading up to the murder.
Naturally, Gandbhir does not release Lorincz from the unavoidable scrutiny that the real-life footage sparks among viewers. In an infuriating final act, she’s served with the truth, which is fueled by the inconsistency of her statements. It’s striking how Lorincz continues to invoke the same legal loophole during her interrogation.
One of the Most Jarring Documentaries in Netflix’s True Crime Offerings
Netflix offers a wide range of true-crime documentaries, making it a top platform for fans of the genre. While some of the documentaries feel like mass-produced products using the same aesthetic, others stand out.
The Perfect Neighbor stands out for its unique approach to the documentary format. It’s compelling and heartbreaking, with a story that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll. Not only does the use of archival video add to the realism factor, but Gandbhir cleverly adds a section at the end that tries its best to answer whatever inquiry you may have about the racial dynamics surrounding the case. The Perfect Neighbor is available to stream now on Netflix.
- Release Date
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October 10, 2025
- Runtime
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97 minutes
- Director
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Geeta Gandbhir
- Producers
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Sam Bisbee
