The Devil Next Door

Marc’s wife Sharon (30s) isn’t happy that Carl was found not guilty. She believes he’s responsible. Their lives are turned upside down when Carl moves next door to Marc and Sharon. Sharon becomes spooked when Carl shows up at her door and knows things about her. She’s alarmed for their two sons, Jimmy (5) and Zach (6). She accidentally drops her house keys.

Carl finds the keys and lets himself inside the Ackers’ home. He finds the boys’ walkie-talkie and steals one. Carl also finds a gun in Marc’s office.

Another neighbor Doris Riley (70s) also becomes concerned for the children in the neighborhood and she keeps a watchful eye on Carl.

When Sharon tries to tell Marc that she’s concerned about Carl, he dismisses it. However, Marc decides to talk to Carl. Carl complains about Marc’s dog.

Zach hears a voice over the walkie-talkie. It’s Carl but he pretends to be Bugsy, a secret friend. He tells Zach not to tell his parents about their new friendship.

Sharon becomes concerned when she sees Carl outside near the school. She reports him to the campus resource officer but there’s nothing he can do. Carl also shows up at a block party. The other neighbors blame Marc for Carl’s presence and alienate Marc.

The family dog goes missing and Carl comes over with a bag that contains the dog’s corpse claiming that he found it. Sharon, however, accuses him of killing the dog.

Carl continues to contact Zach on the walkie-talkie. He tells him that his father left him a gift in his office and tells Zach to go find it. It’s his father’s gun. The gun accidentally goes off and he nearly shoots Jimmy. Marc is furious.

When Jimmy steals the batteries from the walkie-talkie, Marc and Sharon discover that Zach has been talking to someone. They know it’s Carl. Marc smashes the walkie-talkie. Marc goes to court to get a restraining order against Carl, but the Judge refuses to issue an order without evidence against Carl.

Marc installs cameras at this home. When he sees Carl burying something, Marc investigates and finds a stuffed dog. He knows Carl is playing games with him. Marc is visited by the police who warn Marc that he trespassed on Carl’s property.

Doris snoops around Carl’s house and is caught by Marc who escorts her back to her house. Later that night as she prepares for bed Carl kills her.

Desperate, Marc goes to the prosecutor to see if they held back any evidence about Carl. The DA, Gary, tells Marc to check out Carl’s juvenile record and to talk to Carl’s mother.

Marc finds Carl’s mother and she tells him that Carl was a troubled child. He set their house on fire which took her husband’s life. She is afraid of her own son. After Marc departs, Carl kills his mother.

Marc decides to send Sharon and the kids away for their own protection. After they leave, Leo returns. Marc also notices that his cameras are offline and his gun is missing.

Marc goes outside and finds Carl in his yard. After a brief discussion, Carl pulls out Mar’s gun and forces him back into the house.

Sharon realizes that she forgot something at the house and she turns the car around.

At the house, Carl admits to killing the neighbor to get their house and later Doris. He knows about Marc’s own secret past that he’d accidentally killed one of his clients who he has gotten off on violent charges.

Sharon walks in and overhears the conversation. She’s shocked. Zach also walks in and sees Carl.

Leo charges down the stairs. While distracted, Marc attacks Carl. They struggle over the gun and Marc is shot in the arm. The gun again goes off and Carl is shot dead.

Sharon sets up Carl as the murderer of Carl’s client.

The neighborhood returns to normal. Marc and his family drive away from the house which has a For Sale sign in the front yard.