I’m still debating as to whether or not The Boy Next Door is a send-up of the thriller genre and director Rob Cohen just didn’t know what he was doing or if it’s really as god-awful stupid as it appears on the surface. I mentioned the following scene in my review at length and now it has come online for you to enjoy.
If you didn’t know the nature of the story, The Boy Next Door stars Jennifer Lopez as a literature teacher at a local high school who ends up having sex with Ryan, the titular boy next door, a 19-year-old played by Ryan Guzman. However, before they hit the sheets, Ryan gives her a gift based on their shared love of Ancient Greek author Homer… that gift being “The Iliad“… Here’s how it played out…
Considering how much of the publicity for this film focused on the “steamy sex scenes”, I would think anyone that saw this movie would first ask about that first edition of the famed epic poem… Slate, however, wonders if it might be the 1581 edition or maybe George Chapman‘s 1598 translation. Of course, they wonder knowing screenwriter Barbara Curry and Rob Cohen had no idea what they were doing… or did they? I’m siding on didn’t until they tell me otherwise and Barbara and Rob, you can email me anytime if you want to clear this up.
