Neighborhood Watch (2025) | Film Review

What would happen if a neighborhood schizophrenic witnessed a kidnapping, no one believed him, so he needed to enlist the help of an unconvinced retired security guard – sorry, Director of Campus Security – to save the girl before it is too late? Director Duncan Skiles (The Clovehitch Killer) aims to find out with Neighborhood Watch.

Jack Quaid, who apparently said yes to every film coming out so far this year, stars as Simon. When we first meet Simon, he is interviewing for a job in an attempt to financially assist his sister, Deedee (Malin Akerman, a shining light even with limited screen time). In this moment, we understand Simon’s predicament. He hears a voice, seemingly of his late father, constantly attacking his confidence and sanity. It is overwhelming and constant; it impacts his ability to live a “normal life”. He hasn’t worked in a decade due to his mental illness, and this scene helps us understand why.

It is shortly after this setup that Simon encounters what appears to be a kidnapping of a young woman on the street. His condition affects his ability to identify the perpetrator, but he seizes the license plate and promptly heads to the police. As you can imagine, Detective Glover (Cecile Cubiló) has a difficult time utilizing Simon as a reliable witness and essentially patronizes him until he fades away. Once Simon realizes that Glover is not going to help, he sets off on his own.

This brings him to the door of Ed Deerman (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Deerman is no longer in charge of campus security, and it is instantly clear why. Deerman obviously believed his role to be of far more importance than it is, and he is a bit of a wet blanket, constantly criticizing everyone else’s actions as he wallows about in his mundane existence. Initially he rebukes Simon’s pleas for his neighbor’s help. But eventually, he sees the opportunity to do what he has always wanted to – make a difference – and these two unlikely heroes set off to find their kidnapped maiden.

Sean Farley’s script is considerably dense, and Duncan Skiles capitalizes on it to keep the pacing tight. Excess plotting is absent, as this is a focused story that wastes no time sticking to the meat of it all. Once the setup is established, we are off to the races, only pausing for a bit of character development or adjusting for a poorly conceived tactic along the way.

Neighborhood Watch is also surprisingly emotional. Jack Quaid is a talented actor, and he never treats Simon’s issues as a joke, this is fully nuanced performance. Simon has real struggles, and the burgeoning relationship with Deerman greatly assists him with processing his manner of seeing the world.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has spent a few too many years in Negan’s world, so it is refreshing to see the actor forgo the snarky brute and remind all of us that he has a lot of arrows in his quiver. Morgan’s Deerman is at first glance an overwrought pain-in-the-ass. Yet, as he comes to know Simon, he begins to not only understand him, but he also learns to empathize while respecting him. For all his faults, and possibly because of them, Deerman finds an unlikely alliance with Simon. It is less the script and more Morgan who imbues Ed with the layers to sell this.

Two men underappreciated and misunderstood, both with a sense of honor and purpose despite the world seemingly casting them aside. Neighborhood Watch is a fun movie packed with humor, tension, compelling characters, and a heartful, touching narrative. Held together by the glue that is the duo of Jack Quaid and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, these two could protect and serve my community anytime.