Do you get along with your neighbors? Are they just casual acquaintances, or are they like family? Or do you wish they lived miles away? It seems a lot of people are stuck in that last category, and some of these stories unfold in HBO’s new late-night documentary series, *neighbor*.
*neighbor*: Worth Watching or Not?
Opening scene: The series kicks off with a beautiful shot of a nebula, zooming in past the moon—complete with the American flag—and finally landing in Shawmut, Montana. It also touches down in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Highlights: *neighbor* is created by Harrison Fishman and Dylan Redford, with A24 Studios backing the project. Each episode dives into two escalating conflicts between neighbors. In the premiere, we meet Seth Collins and Josh Alpshaw in Montana, and Sarah Day and Eric Wilhelm in Florida.
Seth has a bone to pick with Josh for installing gates on roads that were once open to the public, though those roads ceased to be accessible after Josh bought the property five years prior. Josh, in turn, is frustrated with Seth’s horses constantly invading his land, leading him and his wife to chase them off with dirt bikes, which—let’s be honest—breaks the law.
Over in Florida, Sarah argues that all beaches leading to the ocean are for public use. However, Eric and other waterfront homeowners contend that only a narrow sand stretch between their homes is official public territory. Eric believes that folks are behaving terribly on what he views as private land, so he hires a property manager to shoo people away from the beach while filming. Meanwhile, Sarah teams up with an anonymous Instagram user named “Shoreline Defender” to create an app that informs beachgoers of their rights.
This show has a quirky vibe that feels reminiscent of another late-night HBO documentary, *It’s Florida, dude.* Not surprisingly, three out of the first six disputes unfold in the Sunshine State.
Our take: Fishman and Redford document conflicts that were already bubbling long before they arrived. These disputes often have a wild backstory, which adds a fascinating layer to how each side is portrayed.
Some cases are, well, puzzling. Like the fight over a small piece of land between two former friends in Florida or an episode where a former male model and a Vietnam veteran clash over grass-cutting. Yet, others feel strangely familiar. For instance, in the second episode, we meet Darrell Blasius from Kokomo, Indiana, who can’t stand his neighbor Trevor Eakley bringing more and more animals into their shared home. In Philadelphia, Gene Gagliano cares for nine nearly feral cats, while neighbor Maris Johnson struggles to let her daughter play outside because of those same cats.
What resonates more, perhaps, are conflicts like in the second episode, where a neighbor’s extreme behavior leads to sleepless nights for others. Some situations seem almost absurd, with both sides having valid points but still coming off as completely irrational.
For instance, there’s Seth Collins producing conspiracy documentaries, Gian Gagliano working on screenplays, and healing sessions involving something dubbed the “Energy Enhancement System.” Fishman and Redford aim to stay neutral when presenting these tensions, but sometimes their lens doesn’t quite capture the full context of these people’s lives.
Is this situation a reflection of wider societal issues—like a tendency to avoid rational discussions? Maybe. While neighborly disputes aren’t new, the absence of smartphones or social media in the past meant fewer records of such conflicts. That could be the main difference.
Featured personalities: Seth Collins and his wife Starla certainly stand out, and their living setup—a bizarre-looking wooden hut—doesn’t help to settle their ongoing issues.
In terms of adult content: There’s really nothing explicit at all—except for Darrell and his husband Bruce relaxing in an indoor hot tub.
Final thoughts: Seth remarks, “Not getting along with your neighbors says something about you.”
Unsung hero: There’s often someone in the background who isn’t the star but still offers something interesting to the mix.
Most cinematic moment: Fishman and Redford utilize stylish filming techniques, using dynamic shots that bring a dramatic flair to the unfolding chaos.
Our verdict: Definitely worth watching. *neighbor* amusingly showcases just how swiftly things can spiral out of control between two people who only have one thing in common: living next door.
