A new Netflix documentary uses police body camera footage to tell the story of Ajike Owens. The 35-year-old Black mother was shot and killed by her white neighbor in Florida.
Director Geeta Gandbhir created “The Perfect Neighbor” using two years of police recordings. The footage shows Susan Lorincz repeatedly calling police on her Black neighbors in Ocala, Florida.
Owens died on June 2, 2023. Lorincz shot her through a closed door during a neighborhood dispute. The 58-year-old white woman claimed self-defense under Florida’s stand-your-ground laws.
Gandbhir had a personal connection to the case. Owens was a close friend of the director’s sister-in-law. “Ajike Owens was a close friend of Kim, my sister-in-law, who lives in Ocala,” Gandbhir explained in a recent Film Comment interview.
The filmmaker traveled to Florida immediately after the shooting. She worried Lorincz might not face charges due to Florida’s controversial self-defense laws.
@they_scream_remy Story time & to clarify I am the one who said all the kids are mine not Phyllis people are getting us confused. #theperfectneighbor #netflix ♬ original sound – Ashley remy
“We were really concerned that Susan would not be arrested due to Florida’s stand-your-ground laws,” Gandbhir said. “We wanted to make the media aware of the suppression going on with local authorities.”
Police arrested Lorincz four days after the shooting. She was later convicted of manslaughter in August 2024.
The documentary reveals a disturbing pattern. Lorincz had called police on the neighborhood families for two years before the fatal shooting. The footage shows children playing and families living normal lives.
“The only person who ever called the police into that community was Susan,” Gandbhir noted. “This is a community that has experienced systemic racism and the bias in policing.”
The film highlights gaps in police surveillance. Officers were frequently present due to Lorincz’s calls. But no cameras captured the actual moment of violence.
Gandbhir said she made the film to process grief. “We wanted to understand what had happened for ourselves,” she explained. “It was a way to put purpose to the pain.”
The documentary premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. It aims to spark discussion about stand-your-ground laws and their impact on communities of color.
Owens left behind four children. Her mother, Pamela Dias, supported releasing the film despite its painful content. The family hopes the documentary will prevent similar tragedies.
Stand-your-ground laws exist in multiple states beyond Florida. Critics argue these laws disproportionately harm Black and brown communities. Gandbhir believes approximately 700 deaths occur annually due to such legislation.
