We understand Cold Creek Manor because no matter how good a provider Dennis Quaid is to Sharon Stone, you can easily see that she’s up for a little bit of fantasy, imagining how Stephen Dorff would use her in bed. Therefore, when he goes crazy, it’s earned, and we’d all do pretty much the same as she did.

I can’t figure out the same thought process for Thy Neighbor.

Pastor Zach (Nathan Clarkson) has it all. A great family with wife Amber (Jessica Koloian) and son Alex (Michael Johnson), a new church, a published book, and a podcast. But he sees saving people as a project, not a calling. So when he tries to get a man we only know as “neighbor” (Dave Payton) to come to church. He’s soon inviting this dark being into the world of his young family unit.

Everyone in this is flawed: Zach was once a violent man and has now become a prideful one, in love with the opportunities and perks of being a religious leader. Amber feels lost in his shadow and kind of likes it when the neighbor gets attention from her husband. And the neighbor, well, he does the Stephen Dorff moves, but he looks like if Golem was haunting your 7-11, playing the slot machines all day in back, emerging only to chug energy drinks and grab more chew when he isn’t begging for money, depending on how his gambling day is going. He’s no threat to Pastor Zach, looks or even conversation-wise; he seems like a cartoon villain inside the real world.

There’s something here beyond most faith movies, though. The filmmakers hid a toy car and a knocking sound every time we see the neighbor. His dialogue is at once frightening and builds sympathy for him, but he’s a cipher, someone who has a tragic past, or so it’s whispered. We never learn from the past. Yet it feels like Amber treats him as a faithful Christian should, while Zach is in it for the popularity. There’s an interesting message in there: it takes that faith concept and combines it with the strange-neighbor subgenre. 

Also: Big points for ending this not only on a downer note, but one that doesn’t give easy answers or give away what happens next. 

You can watch this on Tubi.