Netflix’s #1 Doc ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Overtaken by Bigelow’s Apocalyptic Film

When Geeta Gandbhir, the documentary filmmaker behind the buzz‑worthy Netflix release, unveiled The Perfect Neighbor last month, the streaming giant’s Top 10 Movies chart turned into a battlefield. The film follows the June 2, 2023, shooting of Ajike ‘AJ’ Shantrell Owens, a 35‑year‑old Black mother of four, by her white neighbor Susan Lorincz in Ocala, Florida. After debuting at the 2025 Sundance Film FestivalPark City, Utah, the documentary claimed the No. 1 spot on Netflix for a full week before being unseated by an apocalyptic new film from Kathryn Bigelow. Here’s why that shift matters.

Background of a Neighborhood Tragedy

The roots of the tragedy run deep in a quiet suburb where a single‑family home sat next to a vacant lot. For months, Lorincz peppered 911 calls with complaints about children—most of them Black—playing near her driveway. Those calls weren’t just noise; they built a record that later became a cornerstone of her defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. On that fateful June afternoon, the tension escalated, and Lorincz fired a handgun that killed Owens, who was merely walking home with her youngest son.

Police body‑camera footage, the only visual evidence in Gandbhir’s film, shows the frantic moments before the shot—no narration, no talking heads, just raw, unsettling reality. The footage has been described by critics as a “real‑life horror movie,” because the terror comes from everyday surveillance, not special effects.

Making of the Documentary

Gandbhir’s connection to the case is personal: Owens was the best friend of the director’s sister‑in‑law. That bond drove her husband, producer Nikon Kwantu, to travel to Ocala in early 2024 and begin gathering publicly available police videos, doorbell recordings, and court documents. Executive producer Soledad O'Brien helped secure the necessary clearances to use the footage without any reenactments.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Gandbhir wanted the audience to feel the claustrophobia of a neighborhood dispute turned deadly, so she stripped away traditional documentary devices. The result is a 92‑minute march of surveillance clips that forces viewers to draw their own conclusions about race, fear, and self‑defense laws.

Release, Reception, and Numbers

The film’s world premiere at Sundance on January 24, 2025 earned Gandbhir the Directing Award, a rare honor for a documentary that never shows a face on screen. After a brief run at South by Southwest on March 9, the movie landed a $5 million acquisition deal with Netflix in February, finalized in March.

Netflix launched the documentary globally on October 17, 2025. Within three days, it racked up 16.7 million views, propelling it to the top of the Top 10 Movies chart on October 24. Critics praised the unflinching approach: TIME called it “a hauntingly powerful experience that keeps you on edge from start to finish.” Collider noted its “deeply disturbing” nature, while the New York Times highlighted the film’s exploration of “how a community dispute escalated into a deadly tragedy.”

The Netflix Chart Battle

But the reign was short‑lived. On October 31, the chart’s No. 1 spot fell to an apocalyptic thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the Oscar‑winning mind behind The Hurt Locker. Details about the competing film remain scarce, but the shift sparked conversation about audience fatigue: two consecutive weeks at the top were claimed by heavy‑weight, doom‑laden stories.

Collider observed that Netflix’s top‑chart “has been frighteningly relevant in recent weeks,” with titles ranging from animated K‑Pop action to grim documentaries. The pattern suggests viewers are gravitating toward content that feels urgent, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Broader Implications: Race, Law, and Media

Beyond the streaming numbers, the documentary reignites debate over Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. While Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years, her defense team argued the law justified her fear. Legal scholars say the case underscores how the statute can be weaponized against minority communities.

Gandbhir herself said in a post‑premiere interview that she hoped the film would “force a conversation about who gets to claim safety and who is labeled a threat.” The use of only police and doorbell footage strips away any editorial framing, leaving the audience to confront the raw power dynamics at play.

What Comes Next for the Film and the Conversation

Netflix has slated a limited theatrical re‑run in select cities for March 2026, aiming to spark community screenings and panel discussions. Activist groups in Ocala plan a memorial walk‑out on the anniversary of Owens’ death, hoping to keep the spotlight on systemic issues highlighted by the film.

Meanwhile, the production team is reportedly developing a follow‑up series that will examine other cases where Stand Your Ground has been invoked. If the buzz around The Perfect Neighbor is any indication, the conversation is far from over.