Unseen terrorists set of a dirty bomb in Los Angeles. Here’s how it affects a miniscule sampling of the population.

CRITIQUE

“Harrowing” is the kind of word that should be reserved for the horrors of war and films like Right at Your Door. Whether or not you find such intensity entertaining is a truly subjective exercise, but viewers who became claustrophobic when the Poseidon turned upside down should probably take some heavy medication before this film begins.

It’s a simple story, really. Rory Cochrane (Brad) lives with his girlfriend Mary McCormack (Lexi) in a middle class LA neighborhood. Shortly after she leaves in the morning, he hears a new report about a “dirty bomb” exploding in the downtown area where she works. As expected, citywide chaos erupts. Neighborhoods become jammed with panicked citizens, the fallout starts raining down. Authorities recommend staying inside and duct-taping all the windows (thank you, Bush Administration), and police round up looters. After a while Lexi arrives back at home. Disheveled, having traveled by foot — and more than likely a walking corpse; irradiated with toxins that can kill anyone who’s clean. Does Brad let her in?

Readers should definitely rent Right At Your Door to find out. Then see if you have the fortitude to sit through the whole thing without once squirming or wanting to go hug your family. As a first-time filmmaker’s exercise, Right at Your Door makes the most of its shoestring budget by working with its liabilities; i.e. a limited cast and location, verité cinematography and a taut script that rarely allows the viewer to concentrate on the budget’s physical deficiencies.

George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead is a prime example of precisely the same aesthetic; creating viewer distress to an almost painful degree. In fact Door has quite a bit in common with Living Dead — including a “twist” ending which seemed so perfect for the latter but reads as artificially clever in the former. (No spoilers!) If Door bears more than a coincidental resemblance to Living Dead it also folds in a huge dollop of influence from another little-known apocalyptic thriller called Miracle Mile; also shot in LA and pretty much working the very same nerve. (A double feature of these two might be considered torture under the Geneva convention!)

The truth of the matter is that Right at Your Door would’ve made an extraordinary short film instead of an uncomfortable exercise in patience with a meager payoff. First time filmmaker Chris Gorak certainly knows how to work with skilled performers to bring off a reality-based situation with utter authenticity in this post- 911 era. He’ll be a director worth keeping an eye on.

THE VIDEO

Right at Your Door is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The cinematography is effectively handheld throughout the film. The makers of Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project could take a lesson or two away from Right at Your Door, which creates jittery nerves without nauseating the stomach.

THE AUDIO

Right at Your Door is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. It’s a standard mix for our contemporary sound technology. There are no distractions, and effective minor FX separation of hovering copters, city in chaos, etc. Optional subtitles in English and Spanish are available.

THE EXTRAS:

Audio Commentary: Empire magazine, a UK sci-fi monthly, interviews Gorak. He basically repeats what he says during the on-camera interviews. There comes a point when the viewer finally says to themselves, “this movie is okay—but the filmmaker doesn’t have an interesting thing to say.”

Forearm Shiver: More interview time with Chris Gorak.

Film School: Tips on Making an Independent Film with Chris Gorak: Self explanatory. A few good tidbits.

Alternate Ending Scripts: Not for everyone, but fine for comparison purposes.

FINAL THOUGHT

Right at Your Door is a thoughtful, well-crafted film that just doesn’t qualify as “entertainment” yet it’s hard to dismiss. Science fiction fans may be a little softer on the critique and see it as a worthwhile addition to the post-apocalypse genre.