“The House Next Door” is a thriller reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” It’s the story of a young couple, Lori and Tom Peterson, that move into their dream house with plans to start a family. In the house next door, Carl and Helen Schmidt seem to be a perfect couple and the perfect neighbors. The Peterson’s and the Schmidt’s meet and become friends. Having dinner, bowling together, etc. Carl is an ex-military man who has strong values and even stronger opinions. His military friends offer a rougher side to Carl than the Peterson’s first saw. Tom feels embraced and begins to bond with Carl. Lori, however, begins to feel uneasy.

Tom’s work takes him out of town for two weeks leaving Lori alone in her new house. Lori begins to notice strange things happening next door. Late night music that seems out of character. Odd behavior from Helen and Carl. Sexual and abusive scenes playing out in silhouette, through the windows of the Schmidt house. Lori’s innocent peeking turns into compulsive spying. Her voyeurism begins to spin out of control.

It becomes obvious to Lori that Carl is abusing his wife. It becomes obvious to Carl that Lori is spying on him. He begins to let his presence be felt. The violence in the Schmidt house escalates until it spills over to Lori’s house late one night. Helen shows up beaten and looking for a safe haven. Lori helps, but can’t keep her friend from returning to Carl. She never sees Helen again.

Later that very night Lori hears a gunshot from the Schmidt house. She runs to the windows but everything is silent and black. The next morning she wakes up to find Carl sitting by her bed, reading. He lets her know that he’s seen her watching him and that his wife left him. He leaves her shaken and unsafe.

Believing that Carl may have killed his wife, Lori goes to the police. It turns out that the police are also friends of Carl’s and there is nothing they can do without some evidence of abuse or foul play.

Late that night Lori discovers Carl in is back yard digging. She sneaks to get a better look and nearly gets caught by him. After the narrow escape, she decides to go to the police once more. Again she is turned away frustrated and despondent, having the police inform her that Carl buried his dog back there.

Lori returns home. She is visited by an old girlfriend of her’s, Monica.

Monica is a fun loving flirt and upon hearing all of the back story surrounding the Schmidt’s, decides they should investigate themselves. Monica sneaks into the Schmidt’s back yard and begins digging. A shotgun blast rings out. Carl’s caught them! After a subtle threat he lets them go and Monica tries to convince Lori to leave with her, at least until Tom returns. Lori agrees to leave that night and sends Monica on her way.

Before Lori leaves she hears a dog barking in the Schmidt’s house. She’s compelled to enter Carl’s empty house to find the dog and thereby get some proof of this deceptions and crime.

Inside the house, she discovers the dead bodies of Helen and the detective she was talking to. Carl returns home and catches her in the act. He torments her with the threat or rape and is about to kill her when she manages to escape the house. Carl catches her outside and takes her to his bowling alley to do her in.

The climax of the movie plays out as Lori, bloody and beaten, manages to outwit Carl and kill him at his own game.