The beginning of Loathe Thy Neighbor offers a simple premise. Down-on-his-luck freelance product reviewer Will Larkfield (Brennan Clost) is picking up the pieces after his father’s traumatic death, leaving him the inheritor of a rural farm. While struggling to keep his big city job under a boss he doesn’t like, he becomes acquainted with his neighbor and beekeeper Wanda Belrose (Lauren Holly).

However, their first encounter doesn’t start them off on the right foot. Will is agitated about his big life change, leading him to insinuate Wanda may have taken an EpiPen that was supposed to be delivered to his house. However, the honey seller isn’t the friendliest herself, making rude remarks about Will that drives an immediate rift between them.

It doesn’t take long for this conflict to escalate, with Will’s skittish nature clashing against Wanda’s brash annoyance at his presence. What starts out as a small, near-insignificant spat quickly becomes a nonstop conflict. While the movie’s ideas and interplay between characters interestingly multi-layered, it does have some significant drawbacks that make its deliciously intriguing premise half-baked.

Loathe Thy Neighbor’s Comedic Attempts Often Get Lost In Translation

While trying to strike a balance between comedy and drama, Loathe Thy Neighbor feels more like it constantly flip-flops between the two. This is mostly because the events that happen to Will are often over-the-top in terms of how sour they become. Wanda is just one of many people who are constantly mean to him, putting him down even for the smallest of offenses.

This more mean-spirited approach to the comedy would work if other characters felt like they had more redeeming qualities. While there are implications surrounding why Wanda is so vile to him, her backstory is not nearly as fleshed-out as Will’s, barring one scene she’s not even present for. But others, from his pompous boss to random people he speaks to on the phone, make him feel like the unluckiest person on the planet.

Thankfully, the movie provides him with a semi-constructive mentor in Joe Dickinson (Shaun Benson), a farmer who was friends with Will’s dad. Although he’s imperfect, with his antics making Will uncomfortable at times, he’s the closest thing he has to a friend throughout the movie. There’s also some other quirky characters also elevate the comedic moments, like Jessica Greco’s Daphne Moran.

But, for the most part, the comedy gets lost among the superfluous series of misfortunes Will alone suffers. Given how mean-spirited everyone is to him, it makes the whole world feel evil, adding sympathy to his plight with Wanda. But it also makes the comedic tactics feel so repeтιтive, they simply start slogging when someone’s been overly rude to him for the twenty-sixth time.

Luckily, the movie counteracts this with some really strong performances from its cast. Clost does a good job at showing how much the pressures of Will’s new life are getting to him, while Holly’s Wanda is fittingly venomous with every line she spews. The initially mysterious Valerie (Brittany Raymond) is also a delight, with her character having the most hidden layers to unpack across the film’s runtime.

Loathe Thy Neighbor Slowly Unravels Its Point – Almost To Its Detriment

Similarly, where Loathe Thy Neighbor has issues blurring the line between comedy and drama, it does excel at its more dramatic ideas. While Will always tries to do the right thing, his closed-minded nature grows apparent as the film progresses. Despite how over-the-top reactions to his personality are in the realm of comedy, the more dramatic moments do a spectacular job at showing why he needs to change.

This is especially apparent in his relationship with Valerie, who initially wants to be more than just friends. The ups and downs of their interactions with each other center Will’s flaws, while also giving the story an added depth that goes beyond just the anti-neighborly conflict. It also makes for an important element that redefines certain aspects of the story at a later point.

But, while its exploration of Will as a character and the way he interacts with his new surroundings are a core focus, Loathe Thy Neighbor also delivers too little too late. The movie meanders constantly in the shallows of his outlook on the world, going deeper in only when the film is just about to wrap up. This lessens the intrigue as the film goes on, even if it’s presented competently in the acting and filmmaking departments.

Despite its flaws, the film does do a good job at developing its characters, making it so the rather swift wrap-up still feels in line with the movie’s presentation. Even though there’s plenty about the film that could have been more developed, especially in the comedy aspects, the story beats Will and Wanda experience are still engaging enough, even if the overall presentation could be stronger.

Loathe Thy Neighbor, in spite of its somewhat middling comedy, still presents an interesting conflict rounded out by strong, dramatic character arcs and memorable performances. Although the movie isn’t perfect, it’s still a fairly engaging, grounded story about two neighbors clashing, with some interesting ideas that take slightly too long to percolate.

Loathe Thy Neighbor is in theaters August 29.