RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR (2006)

Written & Directed By: Chris Gorak 
Cinematography By: Tom Richmond 
Editor: Jeffrey M. Werner 
Music By: tomandandy 

Cast: Rory Cochrane, Melissa McCormack, Tony Perez, Will McCormick, Jenny O’Hara, Jon Huertas 


After Lexi leaves home to visit Central LA, there's a terrorist attack involving chemical bombs. After the attack, her musician husband, Brad, fails to find her and reluctantly seals himself inside his house. He will have to deal with this decision in the days to come.


The film starts off well for the first third of the movie. It's riveting and thrilling but the last 2/3 of the movie it becomes heavy handed and melodramatic. That is until it's rather excellent ending.

This film is like a feature length version of a modern day TWILIGHT ZONE episode. Scary because it could happen. Which might be why even at 96 minutes this film feels too long.

The premise is a good one. A dirty bomb goes off in central Los Angeles releasing toxic chemicals and ash into the air. Citizens are ordered to barricade themselves in their houses and seal them off.

Rory Cochrane's character doesn't want to until he can contact his wife or she comes home, it he is forced to seal it off before any of that can happen and so after she does finally make it home, but he keeps her outside.

The premise sounds enticing but then it transforms into a morality play with overwrought emotions. That is effective for the audience that after awhile feels more like broad dramatics.

One tries to Concentrate on the premise, but it is hard to really get into it. Never can really catch onto it's rhythm or it's wavelength. It's not a horrible film But is flawed. The film tries to set more of an everyday mood so that things seem to happen in a realistic manner and makes it seem more everyday. Leaving the film to lack any true mood or tone that the film might excel at positioning and enhancing. Though here the film goes more for the human element even with the advertising choosing to go a different route.

The performance by Rory Cochrane is excellent . Mary McCormick is a little overboard but good. The film just never entices. It feels like sitting in limbo watching it. Just not my type of film, surprisingly though o would still suggest watching it. As others might really dig it.

The film feels like the type of movie M. Night Shamalayn would make. Though he would probably cast himself in a small role as the handyman man since there aren't too many parts at all in this film.

The film is very dark. I mean the lighting. One can understand that in the day scenes but the night scenes you can barely see anything on screens I don't know if that was what the director wanted or if it was just a bad DVD transfer.

 Grade: C