Told through the eyes of children, this hard-hitting film takes us on a family’s journey to overcome years of experiencing childhood domestic violence and one horrific incident that shattered their world.

After a ten-year marriage plagued by waves of mounting brutality, all in front of their four children, Brad Waldroup’s outbursts culminated one indelible night in 2006 when he attacked his wife, Penny, with a gun and machete and murdered her best friend.

THE CHILDREN NEXT DOOR opens five-and-a-half years later as Penny and her children continue to struggle with the impact that shaped their lives. Within three short months, we witness an astonishing turn of events.

“It’s a masterpiece – smart, tough, fearless, miraculously compact.” 
- David Schmader, SEATTLE’S THE STRANGER

“Heartbreaking and cathartic…By putting a very human face to a widespread epidemic, Block and ‘The Children Next Door’ both humanize and celebrate the children who survive horrific family tragedies.” 
- Mike Peikert, BACKSTAGE

“Doug Block’s searing short…attains a level of pathos as deep as any feature-length documentary.” 
- Anthony Kaufman, SUNDANCE NOWBLOG

Director: Doug Block
Producer: Lynda Hansen
Executive Producer: Brian F. Martin
Editor: Federico Rosenzvit