A Quiet Street Turns Deadly
Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor landed on 17 October 2025, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about true-crime releases of the year. The documentary pieces together a real-life tragedy using two years of police body-camera recordings — no narration, no interviews, just raw footage.
At the centre is Susan Lorincz, a 60-year-old Florida woman who repeatedly contacted police about local children playing near her garden. In 2024 she was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm for killing Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
@thatdocumentarygirl #fyp #documentary #truecrime #netflix ♬ original sound – Christie Boschman
“I’m the Perfect Neighbour
Lorincz told police she feared for her safety, claiming local children trespassed, shouted, and threatened her. She even filmed them to “prove” her complaints, describing herself as “the perfect neighbour.”
But others in the community told a very different story. They said Lorincz shouted abuse, threw objects, and frightened the children, who were only playing hide-and-seek. One boy can be heard in the footage saying, “We’re 11 — we’re just playing!”
The Night It All Went Wrong
On 2 June 2023, Lorincz once again called police about the children. Before officers arrived, Owens came to her door to confront her. Lorincz fired through the closed door, killing Owens while her son stood beside her.
Lorincz later insisted she had acted out of fear and didn’t mean to kill anyone. She wrote a letter apologising to Owens’ children, saying she had “acted in panic”. Detectives, however, questioned why she reached for a gun just minutes after calling 999. One officer told her bluntly: “The decisions you made are not reasonable.”
Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Debate
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law allows people to use deadly force if they believe they are in danger — but critics argue it’s often applied unfairly. During sentencing, the judge ruled that Lorincz acted out of anger, not fear.
The case reignited fierce debate about self-defence, race, and accountability in the United States, drawing comparisons to the controversial Trayvon Martin case.
Director Geeta Gandbhir, who knew Owens personally, said she wanted to turn police body-cam footage into a tool for truth-telling rather than protection.
“If someone can pick up a gun to solve a small argument, what else might they do?”
Gandbhir also questioned why authorities never brought in a mediator or social worker to calm tensions before the situation turned fatal.
@samanthandrew1 Please please please hit me with your thoughts none of my friends have seen it yet and I wanna yap about it!! #perfectneighbor #whattowatch #theperfectneighbor #newdocumentary ♬ Crime investigation. News, reports, mysteries(1646362) – Vlog Music Crafts
Viewer Reactions: Divided Down the Middle
Audience reactions on Rotten Tomatoes reveal a nation split between outrage and empathy:
“Powerful seeing the real-time footage of the neighbors and family after the shooting.” — 20 Oct 2025
“So impressed with how the police handled everything. Always patient and calm.” — 20 Oct 2025
“Way better body-cam documentaries on YouTube. Typical Netflix rubbish.” — 20 Oct 2025
“This isn’t a documentary, it’s a hit piece. It never shows the old lady’s point of view.” — 20 Oct 2025
“Heavily biased and used to promote an agenda.” — 20 Oct 2025
“If the races were reversed, we’d never see this story. Old white woman = bad, noisy kids = good.” — 19 Oct 2025
“You’re literally watching both sides unfold in real time — if you think it’s one-sided, that’s your bias.” — 19 Oct 2025
“A true American horror story. It needed to be told.” — 19 Oct 2025
“Five stars for honesty. Prepare to cry, rage, and reflect.” — 19 Oct 2025
The comments reflect how polarising the documentary has become. Some viewers praised its honesty and emotional impact, while others criticised it for ignoring Lorincz’s perspective or pushing a political message.
Why It Matters
Beyond the headlines, The Perfect Neighbor is about more than one tragic night — it’s about how fear, prejudice and anger can destroy communities.
As Gandbhir puts it:
“If we don’t shine a light on stories like this, they’ll stay hidden in the dark.”
