Netflix debuted the official trailer for The Perfect Neighbor, a documentary by Geeta Gandbhir, featuring a chilling real-life story rooted in the controversial “stand your ground” law.
The film chronicles the June 2023 killing of Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four in Florida, by her White neighbor Susan Lorincz, who asserted her actions under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. The narrative is constructed almost entirely from police body-cam footage and official audio, offering an unfiltered look at escalating neighborhood tensions.
Gandbhir directed and co-produced the film, working with producers Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu, and Sam Bisbee.
The Perfect Neighbor premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Directing Award. It has since screened at other festivals including SXSW, CPH:DOX, Miami Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary, Sheffield DocFest and New York Film Festival.
The documentary opens in select U.S. theaters on October 10, 2025, ahead of its streaming release on Netflix on October 17, 2025.
On June 2, 2023, Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens was shot and killed by Susan Lorincz after a long series of neighborhood disputes. Lorincz repeatedly called the police over children playing outside her property and claims she felt endangered, invoking Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. Using police body-cam footage, detective interrogations, and interviews, The Perfect Neighbor traces the path from minor conflicts to tragic violence. It seeks to illuminate how small tensions, unaddressed fear, and systemic inequities can converge into fatal outcomes.
Geeta Gandbhir said, “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.”
Watch the official trailer for The Perfect Neighbor, above.
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