Howdy, Neighbor review

Childhood stardom can be deadly.

During the pandemic, we saw nostalgia go into overdrive as creatives tried to keep people’s spirits high in lockdown with Zoom reunions for some of the most beloved titles.

We follow Ben, a former childhood star who is gearing up for an online reunion with the cast of his former show, the titular Howdy, Neighbor!

In the lead-up to this event, he gets a new neighbour in his apartment block. Chase, who mysteriously moves in, in the middle of the night and immediately starts to exert some strange and intense behaviour.

What Howdy, Neighbor does really well is build up the severity of this situation as Chase’s actions become more weird and creepy. This film will get under your skin.

It really plays on the paranoia of having a stalker, and how when no one believes you it can start to drive you a bit mad.

Filmed cleverly through mobile videos and live feeds, Howdy Neighbor feels born out of the pandemic but this only adds to the intensity. It’s a reinterpreted version of found footage, if you will.

The irony of it all, is that the viewership goes through the roof as things get deadly on a live stream. We thrive on chaos and misery, I guess. Maybe this is why true crime docs are so popular.

Matthew Scott Montgomery is a dependable and likeable lead, and really sells the vulnerability of this scary scenario. Debby Ryan is a great foil for Ben, as best friend Harley but it is Grant Jordan’s Chase who steals the show with an intense performance that goes from vulnerable to oddly funny to pure darkness.

Howdy, Neighbor! is not to be missed.

Howdy, Neighbor! screens as part of Sohome Horror Fest Pride 2023.