When it comes to straight romantic relationships in the thriller subgenre, there are several tried and true narratives to explore. One of the most prevalent is ‘the threatening ex’: the reappearance of one partner’s paramour threatens an otherwise happy and healthy couple, chipping away at the new romance through paranoia, jealousy, and – more often […]
When it comes to straight romantic relationships in the thriller subgenre, there are several tried and true narratives to explore. One of the most prevalent is ‘the threatening ex’: the reappearance of one partner’s paramour threatens an otherwise happy and healthy couple, chipping away at the new romance through paranoia, jealousy, and – more often than not – a few nefarious acts.
All of this plays out rather expectedly in writer Briana Cole’s new Tubi film Ex Door Neighbor. The film opens with newly engaged couple Imani (Chantal Riley), a pastry chef, and Deon (Kwaku Adu-Poku), a criminal defense attorney, on the hunt for a new condo. Like any thriller worth its salt, the cracks in their perfect façade are laid out in the first few scenes: Deon is a workaholic who can’t go for more than a few minutes without taking a call, a trait that clearly clashes with Imani’s focus on building a life together. They want to pretend that they’re on the same page, but the relationship is about to be tested.
The pair are shown a recently vacated unit in the waitlisted Luxe Center Condos. As manager Nicolette (Deneisha Henry) outlines the amenities, Imani essentially guilt-trips Deon into putting in an offer, despite his gut instinct that it’s too good to be true. Of course, the audience knows this to be true because we saw the previous tenant, Madeline (Marianne Laver), poisoned in the cold open.
Courtesy of Allen Liu
Director Alpha Nicky and editor Lyndon Casey keep things moving at a good clip, particularly in the movie’s first act. In short order, backstory has been laid about how Deon’s first marriage fell apart (he worked too much), Imani’s sister Jada (Monique Jasmine Paul) has registered her displeasure at her sister’s nuptials, and Deon’s ex, lawyer Tamera (Getenesh Berhe) suddenly appears on the scene.
As the woman who threatens the stability of Imani and Deon’s relationship, Berhe has the most to work with and the actor absolutely makes the most of it. The minute that smooth-talking, sexy, confident Tamera shows up – armed with pet names for Deon (Woody!), vacation stories, and impromptu lunch dates – Ex Door Neighbor settles into a comfortable groove of increasingly combative and jealous interactions between the women.
Imani, who Deon previously said wasn’t jealous to his co-worker Paul (Anthony Jharde), becomes shrill and demanding. Of course her insecurities are justified because Tamera is seemingly everywhere, all of the time. Naturally this is a well-worn conventions of the subgenre, but Ex Door Neighbor ratchets up the drama (teetering into near camp) with scenes of Tamera drinking red wine in bed while watching the couple via hidden cameras planted around their apartment.
Courtesy of Allen Liu
This would all be very familiar and pat if not for a few unusual subplots and quirky characters. The Luxe Center doorman, Teddy (Milton Barnes), is noticeably cool when he interacts with Imani, and Cole’s screenplay makes a deliberate effort to highlight an old case of Deon’s in a way that suggests it will come back in a significant way.
Both could be attributed to red herrings; elements designed to distract from or complicate what appears to be an otherwise straightforward story, but there’s a pervasive feeling that there is more than meets the eye in Ex Door Neighbor.
Without delving into spoilers, it’s fair to say that this is more than the average “threatening ex” narrative. Even if it wasn’t, however, it would be enough for a solid recommendation. Even when Ex Door Neighbor seems to consist solely of familiar characters and story beats, they are so well-executed that the familiar remains highly enjoyable.
For example, it’s no surprise when Tamera plays on Imani’s jealousy to make her think that Deon is cheating. Nor is it unexpected that Imani has a public meltdown when she discovers Deon dancing too-close with Tamera at an impromptu birthday Imani wasn’t even invited to. It works because the film and the actors are so confident in the pulpy enjoyability of what is unfolding onscreen.
Courtesy of Allen Liu
Riley arguably has the toughest role because Imani is stuck in suspicious girlfriend mode for the duration of the film, while Adu-Poku manages to straddle the line between cluelessly ignorant (of Tamera’s advances) and frustrated boyfriend (whose fiancé is acting increasingly possessive and jealous). This characterization falters in the back half of the film because it is so obvious that Tamera is being shady at Imani’s expense that Deon seems deliberately obtuse. Still, there’s a hint – communicated by his reluctance to sign the marriage license – that Deon is also not 100% sold about the marriage.
When the truth comes out in the slightly too-complicated and speedy climax, admittedly not everything holds up (suddenly there’s a lot of guns and more than one death). But between the familiar-but-well-done plot, the committed performances (particularly Berhe, who delights in vamping it up), and the surprising last act, Ex Door Neighbor proves to be a pleasant surprise.
For fans of female-driven gaslighting melodramas and domestic thrillers, this is one worth seeking out.
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