&#8220Disturbia” isn’t going to win any prizes for originality. But the new teen thriller understands its genre quite well and manages to provide a solid film with some tense, creepy moments that are delivered in a straightforward manner. (A refreshing concept after the laugh-out-loud goofiness of another major release this week, &#8220Perfect Stranger.”)

&#8220Disturbia” tells the story of Kale (Shia LaBeouf), a teen living under house arrest who becomes the neighborhood voyeur to pass time.

Kale takes the most interest in a couple of neighbors. One is a teenage girl named Ashley (Sarah Roemer), who just moved in next door. The other is a creepy older man (David Morse), who Kale begins to suspect is a serial killer.

Christopher B. Landon and Carl Ellsworth’s script is a clever teen version of the Alfred Hitchcock classic &#8220Rear Window.” The story doesn’t rely on cheap gore and horror movie clichés – it takes its time, which heightens the tension. It’s such a slow build that &#8220Disturbia” doesn’t even get into the subplot involving Morse until about one-third of the way in.

Director D.J. Caruso (who also directed the silly 2004 Angelina Jolie thriller &#8220Taking Lives”) does a much better job here, using the voyeurism to his advantage.

&#8220Disturbia” is also aided by a capable cast. LaBeouf (recently cast in the upcoming &#8220Indiana Jones 4”) continues to build a solid career that has branched out from his early days on Disney’s &#8220Even Stevens,” and Roemer is a definite keeper as the object of Kale’s affections.

Morse is effectively creepy and Carrie Anne Moss is also good as kale’s mom.

&#8220Disturbia” is fairly predictable – especially if you are a fan of Hitchcock – but it’s still an amiable experience. This isn’t the kind of film that will be remembered by the time the big summer movies arrive, but it’s a worthy diversion to tide you over until then.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is &#8220Little Children” (A) – writer/director Todd Fields masterful follow-up to his critical hit &#8220In the Bedroom.”

Based on a novel by Tom Perrotta, &#8220Children” tales the story of two married couples in a small community.

Sarah (Kate Winslet) is married to Richard (Gregg Edelman), but the relationship is anything but solid since with Richard more content with online porn.

Brad (Patrick Wilson) and Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) are also in a dead-end relationship – with Brad feeling dominated by Kathy, the family’s primary provider.

Sarah and Brad meet one day while taking their children to the local playground and eventually begin an affair that threatens to fracture their marriages.

While that is a basic outline for &#8220Children,” the plot is much more complex – with a blend of satire, drama and dark humor that makes the film work on many levels.

Winslet continues to establish herself as one of the best actresses today, while Wilson (who was also in last year’s &#8220Hard Candy”) gives his second quality performance in a row.

But the real star of the film is Jackie Earle Haley, who earned an Oscar nomination in a creepy and sympathetic supporting role. The former &#8220Bad News Bears” star gave one of the best performances of 2006 as a sexual deviant who moves back into this small neighborhood, trying to distance himself from his questionable past. At first his story doesn’t really seem to have anything to do with the main plot, but the way the two stories intersect is genius.

&#8220Children,” with its almost trashy romance novel-like narrative, probably won’t appeal to a wide audience, but it’s a film that deserves a long and successful run on home video.

&#8220Little Children” is rated R for strong sexuality and nudity, language and some disturbing content and will be available Tuesday on DVD.