The Girl Next Door (2004)

TRIPOD!

Right, let's get that out of the way first, because if you've seen The Girl Next Door you know exactly what I'm talking about, and if you haven't, just know that there's a moment involving a camera on a tripod that had me absolutely losing it. It's the kind of gag that, done badly, would feel cheap and mean-spirited. Done the way this film does it, it's genuinely funny. That little distinction sums up the whole film, actually.

Because here's the thing: on paper, this should be forgettable mid-2000s teenage lad-fest garbage. Boy meets girl, girl turns out to have a past in the adult film industry, chaos ensues, lessons are learned. You've heard that pitch and you've probably already rolled your eyes. But somehow, against the odds, it works. It's not a perfect film by any stretch, and yes, it absolutely has its raunchy moments, some of which land better than others. The story goes to some frankly ridiculous places. But there's a warmth and an energy here that elevates it well above the genre's usual output from that era.

A huge part of why it works is the cast. Emile Hirsch is a genuinely underrated actor, and I'll die on that hill. He brings a real likability and a kind of nervous, scrambling energy to the lead role that keeps you rooting for him even when the plot gets daft. He's magnetic in a way that a lot of young actors from that period simply weren't. Around the same time he was turning heads in Lords of Dogtown, and watching the two back to back you really see what range the guy had. It's a shame his career didn't quite go the way it should have.

Then there's Timothy Olyphant, who is clearly having an absolute blast. He plays the kind of charismatic, slightly menacing figure that Olyphant does better than almost anyone. There's a slipperiness to him, a grin that you're never quite sure whether to trust, and every scene he's in gets a bit more interesting as a result. Elisha Cuthbert holds her own too, bringing more depth to her role than the script probably demands.

And then, if I'm not mistaken, this is Paul Dano's debut. Paul Dano. Watching it now, knowing what he'd go on to become, is a genuinely strange experience. He's brilliant here in a supporting role, playing it broad and comedic but with that particular Dano quality of feeling completely real even when the scene around him is pure farce.

The soundtrack deserves a mention as well. It's got that early-to-mid 2000s feel that either takes you straight back or makes you wince, depending on your relationship with that era, but it's used well. It gives the film a momentum and a looseness that suits it perfectly.

Look, it's not a film that's asking big questions about life. The plot contorts itself into increasingly unlikely shapes as it heads towards its finale, and there are moments where the raucous comedy tips into territory that doesn't quite sit right. But the comedy lands more often than it doesn't, the performances are better than they had any right to be, and there's a genuine sense of fun running through the whole thing that's hard to resist.

Three stars. A decent watch, a cracking cast, and one very memorable tripod.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 2004  | Watched: 2025-04-08

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Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Disney Plus · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
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Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
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Physical: Amazon US

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