We believe that our friends are our well-wishers, but I like to believe that sometimes they are not. There are friends who are actually villains in disguise, and they can go to any extent to do you harm or steal away your happiness. You will understand this way better if you watch “The One Next Door.” Directed by Tonja Ayers and Rockey Black, this film navigates how a perfect family gets ruined over time.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Film?
Rob, Tabitha, and Maya- are a happy, perfect family. However, Rob and Tabitha are both unhappy because their respective partners are not behaving well with them. They are getting distant from each other and fail to spend some quality time together. This is taking a toll on both of them, and they share their worries with Johnathan and Taylor, their friends. Things take a turn when Rob and Tabitha find out about the one next door, their new neighbor, Malik. He is extremely handsome, and roams around shirtless at all times, which bothers Rob because that man gets too amicable with his wife, Tabitha.
Why Does Rob Get Angry With Tabitha?
This is a truth that needs to be understood: every man is possessive of their woman, their partner. They feel jealous when they see their woman hanging out with some other man. This deep-rooted possessive nature can be attributed to the ages-old misogyny. Men hate it when they see their women getting friendly with other men. I called it misogyny because this demeanor is not normal; as a woman, you do have the right to talk with men other than your partner, and there is nothing wrong with this. When Rob finds out Malik in his home, fixing the leakage, he gets furious with Tabitha. He does not really understand what Malik is doing in his home, that too, shirtless. Rob could have fixed the leakage, but did Tabitha really need a stranger to fix it? Well, Tabitha is not entirely wrong. She told Rob to fix the leakage days ago, but as usual, he did not pay her attention. When Malik offered to help her, she just did not refuse. At night, Tabitha apologizes to Rob for bringing Malik inside the house and explains how he has been absent all this time. However, Rob does not forgive her; instead, he tells her that if he were to become a stay-at-home father just like his wife, she should be contributing to maintain their lifestyle as well. Classic use of misogyny in these lines. Tabitha spent her entire life looking after the man, their child, and the household, but her own husband has no time for her. On the contrary, he does not value her sacrifices and blames her for taking the help of another man who casually offered it. Remember, Rob was absent. He was supposed to fix the leakage, but he never did.
Why Is Tabitha Warming Up To Malik?
Women want men who are attentive to their needs. No, we don’t need you to read our minds, but we want some care and attention and the feeling that you are always with us. That is it, it is that simple. However, Rob misses the hint. Tabitha wants him to pay attention to her like he did before. Earlier, Tabitha was the only visible woman on Earth for Rob. He paid zero attention to any other women; it is not like now he gives attention to women other than his wife, but he has changed a lot. He is only concerned about his work, and he does not really pay much attention to his family, especially his wife. She wants him to be affectionate, to be seen by her husband, but Rob does not do that. Since Rob is failing in his job, Tabitha is warming up to Malik’s attention toward her. Taylor tells Tabitha not to mistake attention for affection, since, according to her, Tabitha will ruin her marriage if she continues her friendly behavior with Malik. Her friend, Taylor, seems too concerned about their marriage. Malik’s acts of service win Tabitha’s heart, and she cannot help but get cozy with him.
Why Is Malik Acting In A Friendly Manner?
Malik’s behavior seems strange from the very onset of the movie. Why in the entire world will he try to ruin a perfect family if he does not have any ulterior motive? Turns out, Malik is working for none other than Johnathan. The fact that Malik seems too clean is a lie because he has been to jail before. It was Johnathan who helped him out of the prison, and as a debt to him, Malik agrees to help him out. He has been promised money by Johnathan, and since he is in need of that, he did not refuse to do the dirty work. Malik plays as a decoy all this time. He does not like Tabitha romantically, and he does not have the intention to take her away from Rob. Johnathan asked Malik to push Rob to the edge to execute his plan, and Malik does that exactly. He enrages Rob so much that he breaks into his home and gets arrested.
What Is The Equation Between Johnathan And Tabitha?
Well, here’s the story: seven years ago, Tabitha and Johnathan engaged in one mishap. That cunning man always had a liking for her, and this was how things escalated between them. They spent one night together, and now, Johnathan cannot forget about his connection with her. He wants her back, and hence, he set up the entire plan and hired Malik to execute it. According to Johnathan, Maya is his and Tabitha’s child, and he wants to have a family with them by replacing Rob from their lives. He has his reasons for sure, but that does not justify his actions. As per Tabitha, their entanglement was a mistake and meant nothing for her – it was a one time thing, and Rob has no idea about this at all. It was a secret well hidden for seven whole years, and now, it has unraveled itself. Tabitha never knew that Johnathan was setting up this plan all along. Had she known it earlier, she would have probably taken some steps to avoid it, but it is too late.
What Happens To Tabitha In The End?
In the end, we see Rob and Tabitha go their separate ways because they have probably filed for a divorce. Rob cannot stay with a woman who cheated on him with his own friend. Nevertheless, this is not the end; instead, Taylor is now living with Rob and Maya. She takes over Tabitha’s place in their lives, and this shows how crafty one’s friends can be. Apparently, Johnathan had a thing for Tabitha, which manifested real bad, and Taylor had a thing for Robert. As soon as Rob’s wife gets out of the scene and the coast gets clear, Taylor replaces her. In the beginning, we don’t actually understand Taylor’s intentions because she seems so helpful and caring, but currently, we do know her motives. Like Johnathan, she was also probably planning to live with Rob all this time. There was a hint that she liked Rob when she asked Tabitha jokingly at the barbecue if she could feed him shrimp to make him feel better. I’d like to say that it is all adding up now. The friends were the real culprits all this time, which led to a perfect family getting fractured forever.
