Netflix’s Brand New Movie Has An A+ Critics Score (But The Audience Feels Differently)

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October isn’t just for scary movies – it’s been a great month for suspenseful thrillers too! Both The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Perfect Neighbor were released on Netflix this month. The Perfect Neighbor is particularly interesting because it’s based on a true crime and uses actual body camera footage. While critics are praising it, viewers seem to have a different opinion.

The Netflix film The Perfect Neighbor recently achieved something special on Rotten Tomatoes: it maintained a perfect 100% rating for several days, making it one of the platform’s highest-rated movies. While perfect scores aren’t unheard of, they’re unusual, as most well-received films still receive at least a few negative reviews that lower their overall score.

On Tuesday, October 28th, the critic score for The Perfect Neighbor dropped to 99% with a single negative review. Despite this, it remains a remarkably high rating, reflecting the buzz the film generated earlier in the year when it won a Directing Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Sundance Festival.

Not All Netflix Users Are On The Same Page As Critics, However.

[Spoilers in the next couple of paragraphs.]

Despite negative reviews from critics, the Netflix true crime documentary The Perfect Neighbor isn’t resonating strongly with viewers. This might be because the subject matter – the shooting of Ajike “A.J.” Owens following disputes with her neighbor, Susan Louise Lorincz – is more controversial than many of Netflix’s recent releases. The documentary details how Lorincz repeatedly called the police on Owens’ children, often for minor issues like alleged trespassing, and includes bodycam footage of these interactions.

One night, the conflict between Owens and her neighbor, Lorincz, escalated, resulting in Lorincz shooting Owens. The documentary pieces together the events using body camera footage from the numerous calls made during and after the incident. This shooting then sparked a new wave of debate and examination of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

Many viewers who reviewed the series disliked the use of body cam footage. They also felt the documentary unfolded at a slower pace than anticipated. A review of fan comments reveals a few common criticisms.

  • I didn’t realize “slow burn” could be used to describe a documentary — but if that means painfully dull and meandering, then The Perfect Neighbor fits the bill. “
  • “The editing of the episode was so bad. It was so difficult to sit through.”
  • “How is this even a ‘documentary?’ There was NOTHING about the rehashing of footage that was remotely artistic or cinematic.”
  • “Seems more like a homemade video than a movie, and not all that gripping.”

Both critics and viewers generally enjoy The Perfect Neighbor, giving it a ‘Fresh’ rating. It quickly became the most popular title on Netflix when it was released earlier this month, and it’s still currently the second most-watched show worldwide. While it’s definitely a hit, viewers seem slightly less enthusiastic about it than professional critics.

As a reviewer, I always find it fascinating to compare what critics and audiences think. With The Perfect Neighbor, the critical response has been surprisingly positive – words like “stirring” and “thought-provoking” are being thrown around. Even the film’s minimalist style and editing are getting praise, with one critic calling it powerfully spare, and my colleague Philip Sledge found the bodycam footage especially impactful. It’s funny, though, because what critics seem to love about the documentary appears to be exactly what’s turning some viewers off. It’s a real divide!

Regardless of your opinion, this project is definitely getting a lot of buzz on Netflix and could end up being one of the year’s best true crime series. It’s likely to remain popular for the next few weeks, so expect to hear people discussing it – whether they enjoyed it or not.

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2025-10-28 21:16