The ‘Burbs (1989)
Directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins), The ‘Burbs represented something of a genre-shift for Tom Hanks, as it incorporates elements of thriller and horror into its comedy format. It also saw Hanks really lead what is essentially an ensemble cast for the first time.
Co-starring Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Wendy Schaal and Corey Feldman, the film follows a group of neighbours as they descend into a paranoid spiral of suspicion regarding a new family on their street. They begin to convince each other that the Klopeks are sinister murderers who bury their victims in the back yard. Hanks proves himself to be a skilled team player – leaving plenty of room for his fellow cast-mates to shine – while still emerging as the everyman hero the audience wants him to be.
Taken on its own, though, Hanks’ performance is a study in nuanced comedy, and a subtle portrait of self-conflict. His character, Ray Peterson, is initially sceptical of the observations of his neighbours. But, with the seeds of suspicion planted, Hanks does a great job of showing them embedding inside Ray’s mind, sprouting shoots of anxiety, and growing until he is deeply enmeshed in plots and intrigue – all borne of the crushing tedium of life in the ‘burbs.
