Is The Perfect Neighbor really Perfect?

The Perfect Neighbor exposes how a simple noise complaint in a quiet Florida neighborhood spiraled into tragedy, revealing deep tensions over race, fear, and justice. The Netflix documentary was released on January 24, 2025. 
by DaNija Thomas

This was one of the best documentaries I've watched in a very long time. I love how all the evidence and footage were shown from every time Susan called the police. They had all the body cams.

I hate the way she made the children look like threats instead of kids who just want to have fun. Now I would understand if they were throwing things at her window, or all up on her property, but they were in a field that didn’t even belong to her. I feel as if it was something bigger than what it was.

I can’t lie- hearing those kids cry when they found out what happened to their mother had me bawling my eyes out. Was Ajike Owens meant to be gone this early? No, but that shows how good a mother she is, and she will forever be in memory. Another thing that I hated was how, when she got arrested, she refused to get up and go to jail, and truth be told, she had no reason for doing what she did. The fact that she said that she was getting “threatened” when she shot through the door had me really confused because it shows that nothing was wrong. Susan just wanted a problem for what reason no one knows. She did get twenty-five 25-year sentences to prison, so I feel like that was good, but I still want to know what her reasons were.

I recommend people to watch this movie. It was touching, and it most definitely had its rough moments, but it was great. 
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The Perfect Neighbor closes with a haunting reminder that even the safest-looking communities can hide deep divisions. The documentary challenges viewers to reflect on how fear, prejudice, and misunderstanding can turn ordinary moments into life-changing tragedies.

In the end, it takes us all to reconsider what it truly means to be a “good neighbor” and how compassion could prevent the next senseless loss.