‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Is Coming for That Best Documentary Oscar

‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Is Coming for That Best Documentary Oscar

[Editor’s note: This interview was originally published during the 2025 New York Film Festival.] We’ve seen police cam footage on many true crime shows. But we haven’t seen a movie like “The Perfect Neighbor,” which goes back in time to stitch together a chilling portrait of a murder. When the film won the Sundance 2025 U.S. Documentary Directing Award, editor-turned-director Geeta Gandbhir knew “there was probably nothing like it,” she said las…

Interview: 'The Perfect Neighbor' Director Geeta Gandbhir on the Impact the Oscar-Nominated Documentary Can Have and Already is Having

The Perfect Neighbor has done a rare thing for a documentary. The doc has become a crossover title, in that it’s not simply an Oscar nominee, but also something that casual Netflix viewers have taken in as well. By becoming that kind of a film, director Geeta Gandbhir has been able to have far more people paying attention to the issues she cares about than most documentarians. The movie is, unfortunately, still incredibly timely, so any opportun…