The People Next Door (1970)

In the seemingly tranquil suburbia of New York, the Mason family's life begins to unravel one fateful night. Arthur and Gerrie Mason, the epitome of comfortable suburbanites, stumble upon a shocking revelation - their picture-perfect 16-year-old daughter, Maxie, has been experimenting with LSD. Arthur, a self-righteous, domineering patriarch, instantly points a finger at his long-haired 17-year-old son, Artie, accusing him of becoming his sister's drug conduit. In a fit of rage, he banishes Artie from their home. With his world turned upside down, Artie seeks solace and advice from his neighbour, high school principal David Hoffman. David's family, however, is far from perfect. His wife, Tina, battles alcoholism, while their son, Sandy, grapples with his own demons. David, the voice of reason amidst the chaos, advises the Masons to approach the situation with love and understanding. However, this advice teeters on the brink of oblivion when Maxie's confessions reveal a long history of drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and birth control. Maxie's descent into darkness accelerates, culminating in a scandalous discovery by her father - a high-on-cocaine Maxie in bed with a biker. The Masons, desperate for a solution, turn to family therapy, only to uncover more skeletons in their closet. Arthur's extramarital affair with his secretary comes to light, and to add salt to the wound, Gerrie admits to knowing about it all along. In a misguided attempt to restore normalcy, the Masons host a party that abruptly ends when a musician is caught smoking pot. The final straw breaks when Maxie, high on LSD, performs a nude dance on their lawn, and eventually lands herself in a mental hospital. The sight of her catatonic daughter pushes Gerrie over the edge, leading her to retreat to her bed until the film's climax. "The People Next Door" is an unflinching exploration of the generation gap, and a darkly satirical expose of the modern American family. Behind the façade of conformity and hypocrisy, the film poses a chilling question - Who exactly are the people next door? The answer hits uncomfortably close to home - they are us; they are you, they are me.

The People Next Door is a drama movie featuring Paul Ganapoler.

The People Next Door is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and Tubi TV and it's also available on FlixFling.

It is also possible to buy The People Next Door on Amazon Video, FlixFling and Kino Now.