
Filmed primarily in California, the film features cinematography by Eric Alan Edwards and a score by Paul Haslinger. It was released on April 9, 2004, to mixed reviews—praised for its performances but criticized for tonal inconsistencies. Though it underperformed at the box office, The Girl Next Door later gained a cult following through home media and television, with retrospective appreciation for its genre subversion and portrayal of the adult entertainment industry.
Plot
Matthew Kidman, an ambitious high school senior in suburban Los Angeles, has been accepted to Georgetown University but lacks the funds to attend. As class president, he raises $25,000 to help a Cambodian student, Samnang, study in the United States, but feels his own high school experience has been uneventful. His closest friends, Eli and Klitz, are more focused on mischief and adult films than academics or self-reflection.
Matthew’s routine changes when Danielle, an attractive young woman, moves in next door. After a series of playful and flirtatious interactions, the two begin a tentative romance. Their relationship is disrupted when Matthew learns from Eli that Danielle is a former adult film actress. Following misguided advice from his friends, Matthew takes Danielle to a motel and treats her inappropriately, leading her to end the relationship and consider returning to the adult industry.
Determined to make amends, Matthew tracks Danielle to an adult film convention in Las Vegas, where he confronts her former producer and ex-boyfriend, Kelly. Despite Kelly’s threats, Matthew convinces Danielle to leave the industry. Days later, Kelly retaliates by abducting Matthew and coercing him into stealing from a rival producer, Hugo Posh. After narrowly escaping police capture, Matthew arrives at a scholarship dinner under the influence of ecstasy and gives an impromptu speech but fails to secure the award.