Because Disturbia is an adaptation of Rear Window, it only makes sense that there would be extreme similarities between the two. There’s the confined male lead character, who for some reason or another cannot leave the place where he resides nor does he have any form of entertainment besides looking out of his window and spying on the neighbors. For James Stewart in Rear Window, his broken leg and 1950’s lack of technological entertainment keeps him looking out of his window, whereas Shia LaBeouf in Disturbia is cutoff from television and other forms of entertainment because he’s being punished for wearing and ankle bracelet. Both have a cute blonde supporting actress who takes the part of their love interests, as well as put themselves at risk to get a closer look at the suggested killer. Both films also have that funny, getting into trouble best friend at their side who help motivate the suspicion that the main character has. Even the methods of creating suspense are relatively similar, the extremely quiet, musically lacking scenes right before something unexpected happens, the use of shadows to hide the main characters as they peer out their windows to remain unseen. The close up, tight framing used when the killer peers straight at the camera to connect with the line of sight the main character has, to show that the killer knows what’s going on and that bad things are about to happen. In Rear Window, the killer comes straight over to James Stewarts apartment, and throws him out a window, whereas in Disturbia, there are gorier scenes that follow that reveal the killer has murdered, not just one woman as in Rear Window, but many. Since Disturbia is 50 years newer than Rear Window, it only makes sense that the setting, plot, and characters had to be modified to keep up with relatable material for the present viewers. 
The main difference lies mainly in the technological props within the movie. Since Rear Window was set in the 1950s it was more rudimentary, a man just looking through binoculars and a still camera. Disturbia, however, keeps the binoculars, but also introduces the use of cell phones and motion cameras. The use of the cell phone ringtone adds suspense and terror, as the audience realizes that the killer has the phone number of the main character. For example, every time the “Me so horny’ song is heard, the viewer automatically starts associating it to something terrible. Cameras also aid in creating fear in the movie. This is especially apparent which the best friend takes a camera into the killer’s house, and the shaky movements presented on the screen emulate panic and disorder. Fear is then accomplished when the best friend is shown motionless on the floor.Disturbia was definitely flashier, and more Hollywood than Rear Window which made it more appealing to current audiences who need fast paced action and thrilling suspense. However, I enjoyed Rear Window more, because of its simplicity and the fact that it was able to capture the same emotions, but at a more relatable, everyday level. It is more likely that a neighbor kills one person, than one that has a secret murder room set up.
