ARTS PARTNERSHIPS
The Perfect Neighbor
The Perfect Neighbor tells the story of Ajike “AJ” Owens and the devastating impact of Stand Your Ground laws on communities of color—and it sits at the heart of why Standing in the Gap Fund exists. Produced by the creators of Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, the film continues a tradition of documentary storytelling that sparks public conversation and demands accountability.
More than a film, The Perfect Neighbor is a call to witness, to grieve, and to act.
Using exclusive bodycam footage from dozens of police visits, the documentary bears witness to a tight-knit community navigating one neighbor’s relentless harassment—until her hostility escalates into a fatal crime.
Since its release, the documentary reached #1 worldwide on Netflix in its debut week and ranked #2 overall by week two, amassing over 1.3 billion minutes viewed between October 17–23. It has won 20+ awards for Best Documentary and has recently been nominated for Best Documentary by BAFTA and the 98th Academy Awards.
A Message Pictures production in association with SO’B Productions and Park Pictures
Directed and produced by: Geeta Gandbhir
Produced by: Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu, Sam Bisbee
Edited by: Viridiana Lieberman
Executive Producers: Sam Pollard, Takema Robinson, Soledad O’Brien, Rose Arce, Jackie Kelman Bisbee & Wendy Neu
Streaming Globally on Netflix, October 17
Stand in the Gap
Host a Community Gathering
This Community Gathering Toolkit was created by the Standing in the Gap Fund to help you bring people together to experience the film with care and purpose. Together, we can transform grief into fuel for change.
These gatherings honor AJ’s life and invite others to invest in long-term support for families impacted by racial violence. When we say
“We Got Us,” we mean it.
FILM REVIEWS
Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor to Premiere in October
TUDUM by Netflix
“The Perfect Neighbor is a deeply personal project, created to transform grief into purpose and honor the lasting legacy of Ajike Owens and her family,” Gandbhir said. “My team at Message Pictures, along with our incredible partners at SO’B Productions and Park Pictures, are thrilled the film will be available on Netflix, offering audiences worldwide the chance to experience this urgent and powerful story.”
Film Reviews
‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Review: A Revolutionary Doc, Made From Bodycam Footage, Takes Us Inside an Avoidable Tragedy
by Variety
Sociologically speaking, the Karen phenomenon — whereby white women use their social position and privilege to dictate and demand how others behave — can be tricky to pin down, since it plays on invisible dynamics. It’s been well established that Black Americans are at much greater risk of being shot and killed by police officers. Did Lorincz realize, every time she called 911, that she was potentially endangering her neighbors’ lives?