The Florida killing that shook America: Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor tells all through bodycams
The Perfect Neighbor. Image Credit: Netflix
In the quiet suburbs of Ocala, Florida, a lethal act shattered the illusion of safety when Susan Lorincz fatally shot her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, through a locked front door. The recently released Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor strips away narration, telling the tragic story almost entirely through police bodycam, CCTV, and doorbell footage, giving viewers an immersive, unfiltered view of how everyday tension turned deadly.
With the film debuting on October 17, 2025, the timing could not be more urgent, revisiting America’s divided discourse around race, gun laws, and community violence.
Documentary Style: Show, Don’t Tell
Unlike conventional documentaries, The Perfect Neighbor refrains from voice-over or heavy commentary. Director Geeta Gandbhir adopted a bold aesthetic strategy: let the footage speak. The film is comprised of about 90% bodycam or surveillance video, offering a fly-on-the-wall perspective that reveals nuance and tension without overt editorializing.
This radical “show, don’t tell” technique allows viewers to follow the escalation, from routine 911 calls and neighbor disputes to the rare moment when one person’s fear (or anger) broke through. Gandbhir explained that the footage offered a “window in” to how suspicion and hostility grew until the moment of tragedy.
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The conflict between Lorincz and Owens had simmered for years, centering on neighborhood children playing, perceived trespassing, and mounting accusations from Lorincz about noise, tablet theft, and disrespect.
On June 2, 2023, after a series of confrontations, AJ Owens approached Lorincz’s home with her son. According to bodycam and doorbell audio, there was frantic knocking, heated words, and the sound of a single gunshot. Owens was struck in the chest and later died.
Lorincz claimed she acted out of self-defense under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. But the court and film evidence suggest a deeper psychological and racial undercurrent: neighbors testified that Lorincz had used racial slurs and harassed children in the community.
In August 2024, Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter, and by November 2024 she was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Themes Explored: Race, Law, and Surveillance
Racial Bias and Weaponized Fear
The film interrogates how race, perception, and fear intersected in this case. Lorincz’s derogatory remarks and her selective view of the neighborhood are laid bare in footage that challenges her claims of ‘fear.’
Stand Your Ground Under the Microscope
The documentary pushes viewers to question how self-defense laws can become tools in violent disputes. Florida’s law empowered Lorincz to delay arrest, but the film asks: when does “threat” become pretext?
The Power (and Limits) of Surveillance
By relying entirely on recorded footage, the film subverts bodycams’ usual role as instruments of policing. Here, surveillance becomes a vessel for empathy and accountability.
Release & Netflix Deal
- Festival Success: The Perfect Neighbor premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, earning the Directing Award in the U.S. Documentary category.
- Netflix Deal: The streaming giant secured rights following Sundance, reportedly for about $5 million, with a theatrical debut on October 10, followed by streaming on October 17, 2025.
Why The Perfect Neighbor Matters
This documentary isn’t just a retelling, it is a lens on how communal conflicts can spiral into tragedy when entrenched power and fear go unchecked. It forces us to ask whether laws intended to protect can instead embolden violence. With its immersive, credentialed approach, The Perfect Neighbor invites dialogue on race, surveillance, and agency in American life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is The Perfect Neighbor documentary about?
The Perfect Neighbor chronicles the 2023 fatal shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens by her neighbor, using police bodycam, CCTV, and doorbell footage to reconstruct how neighborly conflict escalated into violence.
Q2. Who was Susan Lorincz and why was she convicted?
Susan Lorincz was AJ Owens’ white neighbor who shot her through a locked door. In 2024, she was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years in prison for her actions.
Q3. Did The Perfect Neighbor win any awards?
Yes, the documentary won the Directing Award in the U.S. Documentary category at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Q4. How much of the film uses bodycam footage?
About 90% of the film is composed of bodycam, dashcam, doorbell, and surveillance footage, lending an almost real-time, observational quality.
Q5. When is The Perfect Neighbor available to watch?
It premiered theatrically on October 10, 2025, and will stream globally on Netflix starting October 17, 2025.
Q6. How does the film critique “Stand Your Ground” laws?
By exposing the delays in arrest, the manipulation of fear, and the racial context, the film outlines how self-defense statutes can be misused, especially when legal thresholds are vague or subjective.
Q7. Why did the family agree to release private footage?
AJ Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, granted access to the video materials in order to preserve her daughter’s memory, seek accountability, and spark national awareness about racial inequities and gun violence.
