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The Perfect Neighbor Opens in Theaters, Reconstructing a Florida Killing Through Police Footage

Constructed from police bodycam, 911, interrogation footage, the film scrutinizes Florida’s stand‑your‑ground system.

Overview

  • Geeta Gandbhir’s documentary premiered at Sundance and began a limited theatrical run on October 10, with a Netflix debut set for October 17.
  • Reviews describe a rigorously evidence-led approach that relies on official recordings rather than narration or talking-head interviews.
  • The film chronicles months of neighborhood disputes in Ocala, Florida that preceded the June 2, 2023 shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens through a locked front door.
  • Shooter Susan Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter on August 16, 2024 and received a 25-year sentence in November, now being served at Homestead Correctional Institution.
  • Critics frame the documentary as a pointed critique of stand-your-ground statutes and routine police responses; Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods called the shooting “not justified.”