Ever since Claire Peterson found out that her husband, Garrett, has been fooling around with his secretary, she’s been at a standstill. Claire doesn’t want her son Kevin to grow up without a father in his life, but the trust has been broken. How can she be sure that her husband won’t have another indiscretion? All it takes is one more moment of weakness to bring her whole life tumbling down, and right now, she’s too fragile to leave her broken pieces in his flippant hands. Caught between wanting to keep her family together and trying to hold on to her dignity, Claire kicks Garrett out of the house, and begins raising Kevin on her own. Hesitant to sign divorce papers, Claire keeps her distance, but but remains open to the possibility of one day becoming a real family again. In the meantime, Claire focuses on preparing for another year of teaching literature at the local high school, taking care of Kevin, and the cute neighbor boy that just moved in next door. Noah Sandborn is his name, and despite the fact that he’s developed a friendship with her teenage son, Claire can’t help but notice his glistening, grease-covered biceps as he works on the engine of a car, or that he’s well read for someone his age, or that he spends his free time assisting his sick uncle.

Noah had an accident a few years ago that claimed both of his parents’ lives in a vicious car wreck. While dealing with his grief, Noah lost a few years in the scuffle, and as a result, was held back a few grades. Now, at age twenty, he enrolls back in high school, and finds his way into Claire’s class. The connection between them is clear and instantaneous, but Claire knows that she shouldn’t get involved with someone who’s so young, especially because he’s friends with her son, and she’s vulnerable and in the midst of dealing with her spouse’s infidelities, but most of all, because he’s a student. Still, she finds herself drawn to the boy, and before long, they engage in their own forbidden act. Claire almost immediately regrets her actions, but despite her pleading and reasoning, Noah refuses to listen. He claims that they’re meant to be, and although at first he comes on like a naive child lost to puppy love and prisoner to the power of being with a more experienced partner, soon, his charming, child-like ways turn lethal. Noah begins threatening Claire, stalking her, and acting oddly possessive. As things worsen, Claire must find the balance between keeping her secret quiet, and protecting her family from the crazed, angel-faced psychopath living just across the lawn.

The biggest issue with The Boy Next Door is its failure to comment on the large age gap between Noah and Claire. Like many horror films that have come before it, this film highlights Noah’s jealous, deranged behavior, forcing it to blend in with other cliche beau-turned-bonkers movies. Even if Noah is twenty years old, and legally old enough to sleep with someone who could be his mother, he is still a student of hers, and that aspect is only briefly touched on. The fact is, if it were a young female student and an older male teacher, it would be seen as disgusting and illegal, period. There would be no question about it. However, because it’s a young man and an older woman, it somehow allows for this perverse way of thinking to exist, where their involvement is exploited to argue that this scenario is okay because it’s a fantasy being fulfilled, not a guardian taking advantage of her pupil. In the end, whether the movie wanted to argue that relationships between young people and older people is a positive or negative affair, the important thing is to choose a side! Defending either side and supporting your argument with evidence would have made it stand out from all of the other sociopathic sweetheart thriller gems out there.

Despite the fact that the student-teacher situation is pretty uncomfortable, the truth is, it is nice to have the boy be the desperate, lunatic lover for once, just because it is so rare. Films like Fatal Attraction, Misery, and Swimfan are much more commonplace in a world that detects any giant gesture of affection from females as frightening or plain mental. More often than not, it’s the woman that’s driven totally insane with insecurity when her partner gives her the slightest bit of attention. Also, The Boy Next Door is surprisingly fun, due to cheesy, yet well-timed one-liners from Ryan Guzman. Kristin Chenoweth is the real star of the film, though, swooping in to save horribly cliche moments from being dull and dreary by throwing in smart, sassy comedy and veteran acting chops. Lopez may play the classic novels aficionado, but it is Chenoweth that’s the real teacher in this film, schooling everyone around her with ease. Sadly, Lopez and Guzman can’t quite perform to the bar that to their co-star has set, and fail to provide any real convincing chemistry. Lopez comes across more like she’s slightly bothered than fearing for her life, and it never really feels like she’s in danger.

Lopez’s character Claire can’t seem to learn from any of her mistakes, or how to grab a weapon, no matter how many times Noah threatens her, or even sexually harasses her. Even after he hacks into her email, prints out pictures of their love making, and attempts to sexually assault her in a confined bathroom, she still meets him later, unarmed and doe-eyed, begging like a pitiful victim for him to stop, and not really taking any advances to make sure he does. Perhaps her character would come off as more sympathetic if there were any reason at all to root for her, but it would be the equivalent of cheering on a reality contestant through a political debate — useless and frustrating. Unfortunately, unless you’re going for a few chuckles over silly dialogue and poor storytelling, this movie isn’t one that demands to be seen in the theaters.