Universal Pictures Some movies are so much better than the sum of their parts that they defy easy explanation. A director suddenly shifts his visual style; an actor shows a previously unknown knack for comedy or drama; a screenwriter breathes life into a property we all assumed was dead. We marvel at the result, talk about how it never should have happened, and praise those involved for safeguarding their creativity against the corporate machinations of the industry.

In the upcoming psychological thriller "The Boy Next Door" Jennifer Lopez stars as Claire Peterson, a high school literature teacher struggling to get back in the dating game after separating from her cheating husband of 18 years. When a handsome and charismatic 19 year old named Noah (Ryan Guzman) befriends Claire's son after moving next door, Noah's attraction to Claire at first sight is more than palpable.

We knew Jennifer Lopez as an actress before we knew her as a singer, but it’s been a long time since she’s had a real hit film. Sure, Ice Age: Continental Drift made lots of money, but she only lent her voice to that one. Who even remembers that Parker, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and The Back-Up plan even existed, let alone that she was in them? Nevertheless, she keeps on keeping on, and the next stop in her cinematic journey will be a thriller called The Boy Next Door.