Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- raunchy
- witty
- energetic
- date night
- late night comedy viewing
What critics said
Critics found the leads appealing and the comedy energetic, but viewed the film as a derivative and tonally contradictory borrowing from earlier teen and suburban sex comedies.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Danielle's past as a porn performer directly challenges Matthew's assumptions about romance, respectability, and intimacy.
Matthew's attraction to Danielle leads him away from his protected high-achiever identity and toward unfamiliar adult experiences.
Matthew and his friends turn school parties, sexual bravado, and risky schemes into tests of independence.
The film presents Danielle's porn career in a relatively celebratory way while also positioning her former producer as a threat from whom she may need saving.
Films like The Girl Next Door, and why
Risky Business
shares a teen sex comedy framework, suburban misadventure, sexual coming-of-age themes, and a knowingly provocative tone
American Pie
shares raunchy high school comedy, sexual anxiety, friendship-driven misbehavior, and an ensemble of adolescent outsiders
Some Kind of Wonderful
shares a romantic teen comedy structure, an idealized new girl, sexual attraction, and an ultimately sincere emotional register
Can't Hardly Wait
shares a coming-of-age romance, awkward adolescent ambition, and a heightened suburban teen-comedy atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Luke Greenfield
- Release Date
- 2004-04-09
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (4199)
Cast
- Emile Hirsch
- Elisha Cuthbert
- Timothy Olyphant
- Christopher Rodriguez Marquette
- Paul Dano
- James Remar
- Timothy Bottoms
- Donna Bullock
- Jacob Young
- Brian Kolodziej
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Girl Next Door about?
- A sheltered high-school overachiever risks his perfect future when his dream girl’s porn-star past collides with first love, friendship, and an exploitative former producer.
- What is The Girl Next Door like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Girl Next Door as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Girl Next Door violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Girl Next Door as mild.
- What did critics think of The Girl Next Door?
- Critics found the leads appealing and the comedy energetic, but viewed the film as a derivative and tonally contradictory borrowing from earlier teen and suburban sex comedies.
- Which films are like The Girl Next Door?
- Films with a similar feel include Risky Business, American Pie, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Can't Hardly Wait.
- How long is The Girl Next Door?
- The Girl Next Door runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Girl Next Door?
- In United States, The Girl Next Door streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
