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Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Ron Glass, Justin Chambers ... see more see more... , Jay Hernandez , Regine Nehy , Jaishon Fisher , Robert Pine , Keith Loneker , Caleeb Pinkett , Bitsie Tulloch , Robert Dahey , Ho-Jung , Dallas Raines , Michael Sean Tighe , Valeri Ross , Dartenea Bryant , Dale Godboldo

An interracial couple moves into their California dream home, only to find themselves the target of their volatile next-door neighbor -- a racist LAPD officer -- in this tightly wound thriller starrin... read more read more...g Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington. Newlyweds Chris and Lisa seem like they have the perfect marriage and now, with their new home in the exclusive community Lakeview Terrace, the perfect life as well, but things soon turn ugly in the posh neighborhood when they begin to receive threats from their neighbor Abel, a middle-aged LAPD officer who has obvious objections to the couple's interracial marriage. What starts as an attitude problem soon morphs into full-on harassment, and before long the couple finds that their worries go far beyond their property values -- or the encroaching California wildfire burning in view of their community -- as they begin to fear for their lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

43% liked it

135,533 ratings

Critics

46% liked it

160 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Neil LaBute

Release Date: September 19, 2008

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DVD Release Date: January 27, 2009

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Stats: 5,984 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,984)

  • phubbs1
    February 9, 2012
    phubbs1
    Really well acted flick, everyone is really good in their roles and makes the film very believeable and worth while. Jackson is very good as a racist cop and pretty eerie too, you never know quite what he's gonna do. The whole look and feel of the film is good too, the hot summer... read more, sweaty atmosphere, tension between the neighbours etc....
    I did expect alittle more action on the racist front hehe or some really heated verbal maybe but it didn't quite materialise, still good though, not over done and with a good ending.

    You know this kind of thing happens all over the place and all the time which makes it very interesting and easy to relate too which in turn makes the film very powerful.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 2, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Samuel; L. Jackson gives one of the best performances of his career in Lakeview Terrace. This is a well crafted thriller that will you keep you on the edge of your seat. Neil Labute, who previously directed the dreadful Wicker Man remake, doesn't do a bad here, which is surprisin... read moreg. Sure, there are things that could have been improved upon, but for what it is; Lakeview Terrace is an entertaining thriller. I was very much surprised by the film, and I didn't think I would enjoy it. But I was pleasantly surprised. Lakeview Terrace may not be a great film, but it most certainly is entertaining enough for you to spend a good two hours. Samuel L. Jackson gives a tense performance as Abel Turner, the racist cop who torments an interracial couple. Lakeview Terrace has enough thrills from start to finish Sure Lakeview Terrace is not the best thriller out there, but for what it is, I think it's a pretty good film that is pretty underrated. I don't see why the film got the flack it did. I thought that the plot was well conceived, and despite its flaws, was very engaging and kept you on the edge of your seat. Lakeview Terrace overall is a good film and is a must see if you enjoy a good thriller. I enjoyed the fact that the film had a slightly different angle on the race issue, and Neil Labute was able to make a film that takes a new approach to the issue, and make it believable enough to create some genuinely tense scenes. A very good film that is underrated.
  • ironclad1609
    August 2, 2011
    ironclad1609
    This thriller takes quite a new approach to the theme of racism, this time it is a black guy disliking his newly moved in mixed neighbor couple. And that set up makes for some wonderfully uncomfortable scenes and a somewhat eerie atmosphere, what with the forest fires slowly appr... read moreoaching the street. Jackson has plenty of scenes that give ambiguity to his character, keeping it from becoming the stereotype psychopath neighbor. We even get glimpses into the reason behind his behavior, but sadly, those aspects are not entirely fleshed out. Unfortunately, the showdown fulfills the stereotypes you expect from such films instead of taking a different route. That's wasting a lot of opportunities to end this unexpectedly or to keep the racist cop ambiguous. Not a bad film by any means, but after all too much restrained in the bounds of the genre.
  • garyX
    December 9, 2010
    garyX
    A young married couple move into their new home and make an enemy of the overbearing and overprotective cop who lives next door. Lakeview Terrace is very much a mainstream Hollywood thriller that pretty much exists solely for Sam Jackson fans to get their jollies watching him ac... read moret like an asshole. Its very familiar formula of neighbour-from-hell also skirts around race issues as the couple in question are mixed race (I can only assume things are a bit different socially in America as this wouldn't raise an eyebrow in Britain in this day and age) but the fact that it all revolves around feeling sorry for the trials of a middle class white man feels a little too "Michael Douglas" to extract any real sympathy from me. Technically, it's a solidly made film with decent performances but it's all a little too over familiar and contrived (particularly the lazy ending) to rate as anything more than watchable. One for the middle class parents of all the wiggas who loved Training Day I suspect.
  • helpahorse
    August 30, 2010
    helpahorse
    Lakeview Terrace is a pretty bland movie. The film is basically about a married couple (with different ethnic backgrounds) who are being stalked/terrorized by their next door neighbor who is a police officer. There is no real action until the very last half hour or so.

    The pl... read moreot of the film is very weak. It seems that the neighbor problem really isn't a problem. Instead of dealing with the psychotic neighbor themselves, they should have called the police and filed a *Restraining Order*. All their problems could've been solved! The characters in this movie are so stubborn and stupid, they are very hard to like. The husband has a temper problem and only makes matters worse when it comes to the neighbor issue. I really hate stupid characters in movies- and Lakeview Terrace has nothing but dumb characters.

    The script and acting also were not the best I have ever seen. "Could you keep it down? We're trying to sleep." "Well, we're trying to get hammered!" *obnoxious laugh*. Really? There were also many unnecessary characters like Jay Hernandez' role. I absolutely love Hernandez, but his role did not fit in this movie at all. Hernandez played the racist cop's partner. Hernandez witnesses the cop's questionable behavior many times throughout the film, yet he doesn't tell anyone. Why is he even involved in the storyline, if he doesn't contribute anything to it? The least he could do is get suspicious of the cop's actions or file a complaint against him or something. That would've made the movie a lot more interesting.

    This movie is very bland. It includes a lot of racial references throughout the film. It becomes really obnoxious after the first few references. We all understand the cop is racist.....can we move on now? It's a boring film. Nothing major happens until the last half hour.

    If you are planning on watching this movie, please don't. It's an incredible waste of time.
  • dreamfaeries
    July 9, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    Odd and not very interesting... predictable and slow.
  • romy861
    March 20, 2010
    romy861
    Okay. I expected something a little more dramatic, but did pick up towards the end.
  • ythelastman89
    February 24, 2010
    ythelastman89
    It is incredibly dumb, but I had a lot of fun watching it in a guilty pleasure sort of way. The acting isn't bad and that is why I think it's sort of hard to understand, because the plot is almost too outlandish to register. The reverse racism is done so bad and the tension betwe... read moreen neighbors is just hilarious. The chainsaw/rake battle over bushes and forced bachelor party are some person favorite scenes of mine.
  • purplemegan
    January 23, 2010
    purplemegan
    It was okay. I was mad the whole time and yelled at the TV a lot.
  • fb733768972
    January 14, 2010
    fb733768972
    Well made with just the right amount of everything to keep you going! Outstanding!

View All Lakeview Terrace Reviews

Critic Reviews

Ben Mankiewicz
November 7, 2008
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

The movie is directed by Neil LaBute, whose history suggests he's comfortable making his audience just uncomfortable enough to make a lasting impression. Full Review

Ben Lyons
November 7, 2008
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

I found it scary at times and I was tense and I was on the edge of my seat, , but ultimately it did spiral out of control and get a little ridiculous. Full Review

Michael Phillips
October 18, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The actors make it watchable, but with these incendiary themes, 'watchable' isn't exactly a wildfire. Full Review

Robert Abele
September 19, 2008
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

Lakeview Terrace is a serviceable enough popcorn exercise in a few floundering Angelenos who can't just get along. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
September 19, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

The movie's only mark of restraint is the absence of an earthquake. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 19, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Jackson hasn't had a role this good or this complex in many a moon, even if the rote ending betrays the complexity of the set-up. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
September 19, 2008
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

In its overall shape and message, Lakeview Terrace is a conventional suspense thriller, but the details kick it up a notch. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
September 19, 2008
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Lakeview Terrace [is] an unsettling address for everyone -- black, white or 'blue'. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 19, 2008
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Lakeview Terrace holds your interest, though the bad faith on all sides makes it something of an endurance test. Full Review

Joe Neumaier
September 19, 2008
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

Terrace pretends to be about the persecution of a mixed-race couple when really it's about how anyone might react living next door to the shark from Jaws. Full Review

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