Lakeview Terrace

Lakeview Terrace is a 2008 thriller film directed by Neil LaBute, produced by Will Smith, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington. Jackson plays an LAPD police officer who begins to terrorize his next-door neighbors after learning that they are an interacially married couple. The film was released on September 19, 2008.

Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington), a young interracial couple, have just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbor, who disapproves of their interracial relationship. A stern, widowed-single father of two, LAPD officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) is the watchdog of the neighborhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly harassing to the newlyweds.

The persistent intrusions into the lives of Chris and Lisa ultimately take a turn for the worse when the couple decides to fight back. At the end, Abel shoots Chris and the policemen in the squad cars fires at Abel leading to his death. The movie ends with the couple being happy again and Abel Turner was out of their lives forever.

Critical reaction to Lakeview Terrace has been mixed. The film holds a rating of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 45 out of 100 on Metacritic. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a very positive review, awarding it a score of four stars (out of four) and saying: "Some will find it exciting. Some will find it an opportunity for an examination of conscience. Some will leave feeling vaguely uneasy. Some won't like it and will be absolutely sure why they don't, but their reasons will not agree. Some will hate elements that others can't even see. Some will only see a thriller. I find movies like this alive and provoking, and I'm exhilarated to have my thinking challenged at every step of the way."