Customer Reviews

Right at Your Door

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

We lived in Florida during the Cuban missle crisis and instead of ducking and covering under our desks we went out in the hallway and huddled against the wall during our nuclear attack drills. When I was growing up it was pretty much taken for granted that one day the Cold War was going to go nuclear. There were movies from "On the Beach" to "Fail-safe" that played out possible scenarios for the end of the world as we knew it, and even "Star Trek" assumed that World War III was going to be a nuclear war. When "The Day After" came out Carl Sagan was on the special edition of "Nightline" that followed saying that a real nuclear winter would be much worse than what we say in that made for television movie. But now we live in a world where a full out nuclear exchange between two super powers seems extremely remote if not impossible and we would like to believe that a terrorist attack involving nuclear weapons is not inevitable. We have seen such a scenario played out with super Agent Jack Bauer on "24," but that never really involves ordinary people. That is not the case with "Right at Your Door," which plays out against our worst fears at a very basic level.

Brad (Rory Cochrane) and Lexi (Mary McCormack) are living together in Los Angeles and on this fateful morning she goes off to work. The next thing Brad nows there are reports on the radio of a series of blasts in the city. It turns out that not only is this a terrorist attack, but that the bombs were dirty bombs that are filling the air with toxic clouds of deadly ash. Of course Brad tries to contact Lexi, but the phone lines are jammed and when he jumps in his car to try and go and find her, his efforts are thwarted by the police. Chances are she is already dead, but Brad simply does not know one way or the other. So he returns home and seals up his doors and windows against the toxic cloud that is coming, and waits for Lexi to call or get back home.

This turns out to be only the grim opening act of first-time writer-director Chris Gorak's film, which was screened at Sundance in 2006 and only grossed $64K when it was released for a few weeks last year. Now that it is out on DVD, word of mouth should help "Right at Your Door" get a much larger audience, because this is an engrossing little film. One aspect of the film's low budget is that instead of television coverage of what is going on, all we and the characters get are radio broadcasts. However, this ends up working in the film's favor as our imagination fills in the grim details, as do the simply sights of black clouds of smoke and the rain of ash particles. More money would not have improved the finished product and most of the story plays out in and around the home that Brad and Lexi share. There is also an echo of 9/11 in how family and friends reach out by cell phone.

The film that "Right at Your Door" reminds me most of in terms of these apocalyptic films ends up being "Testament," the harrowing story of a family trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear war far enough away from the destruction, but not far enough away from the fallout. "Testament" has a much longer time-frame than "Right at Your Door," but it shares the same intimate focus. Overall I liked the way things played out in the end (I certainly was not expecting that particular resolution), although the set up for the end game did strike me as a bit strange when it was happening. That was the one bit that immediately struck me as unbelievable that under those circumstances the cell phone (this reference will make sense when you see the film) would be an issue worth pursuing. I was going to round down on the film because of that flaw, but you know me. I think irony is the master trope of the universe and when you surprise me with an ironic twist at the end of the story I end up rounding up.

The DVD extras include the scripts for a pair of alternative endings for the film, and it is heartening to think that at least Gorak did not film either one of them, because I am getting tired of filmmakers getting to the ending of their flms and picking options (just take any of the classic films of your choice, imagine alternative endings, and shudder accordingly). This is an effective little film, and while I would not call it great, it certainly deserves to be seen by more people than have caught it to date. That is why I have talked in general terms about the opening act and left the other two-thirds of the movie for you to discover for yourself.

Although produced on an independent budget, the filmmakers here have created a fantastic thriller. Set in Los Angeles, the film starts out as every day in our lives does, until that is, an unknown terrorist organization sets off a series of dirty bombs in the downtown area. Recalling the panic that set in on 9/11, our main characters don't know what to do, who to trust, or where to find credible information. What ensues is a truly scary proposition of what might happen, police declare marshall law, hospitals become traps for unwilling victims, and general chaos follows. The performance of Rory Cochrane is really what drives this tale, as he might finally get the recognition he deserves as a dramatic actor, after appearing in such films as Dazed & Confused, and A Scanner Darkly for the past 10 years, as well as CSI: Miami. The supporting cast is excellent as well, although it only takes a few poeple to drive this story, an element of its genius. I won't give away the ending, but it is definitely a twist you don't see coming. Some might not want to see a movie about what might possibly happen in the future, but I think that would be missing the point. We need to ask ourselves what we would do as a society, so we don't end up like the characters in the movie, if it ever does happen.

Ehh, plenty seem to see this movie in some kind of political lighting. It is a mistake. Listen to Gorak speaking of this in special features. He creates a story that focuses on two of main characters and their struggle. Then adds some politics and science around it.
It's a pretty strong independent film. I thought the use of music was good. What I like the most is how they reflect that feeling when something real bad happens, it feels almost unreal.
Also the alternation of faster-paced scenes and quiet ones is done quite nicely.
I like the special features as well. Lotta interview footage with Gorak. The only thing though is that his voice is rather calm- keeps making me feel sleepy.

It's a kind of post 9/11 terrorist/disaster thing involving a series of dirty bombs set off in Los Angeles and the ensuing toxic fallout from them. The view is constricted to the claustrophobic panic of what one man sees and hears, so the viewer is left in the dark about a lot of things. It's a low-budget, independent type of film, but I was quite riveted by it nonetheless. Well, mostly. While I was dutifully chilled to the bone by the images, predicaments and consequences presented in the film, there were some things that didn't quite jell for me. Still, I give it thumbs up for scaring the bejesus outta me and turning my skin as cold as stone, like all good apocalyptic type stories do.

"WOW" was the word I kept silently mouthing as I watched this film. Cinematography, flawless acting, and an endlessly foreboding tone and script come together for the most engrossing cinematic experience I've had in some time. Slight spoilers follow, but they all follow under this umbrella: "This is a small interpersonal story taking place within your typical disaster movie."

The strength of the script is two-fold: First, it employs a gritty realism via the only source of information the main characters have on hand: the radio news station. The story of the disaster that has befallen the outer world unfolds through this mechanism, the application of which should trigger memories of 9/11 for all but the most obtuse. The comparison, however, is never explicitly made, and the implied connection between the American disaster and the events in this film is applied with finesse and grace.

Second, the script and direction trust the intelligence of the viewer. In particular, subtle use of the radio provides small doorways into the current psychological states of the characters. Hence, the film isn't nearly as interesting or engaging if the viewer does not surrender their full attention. For the right viewer, however, that won't be the slightest problem. Additionally, there are any number of nuances to the relationships between the main characters; catching them all requires even more attentiveness. The director isn't hiding these things, however. These extra spices simply contribute to the feeling that the audience is watching real people. Plot points aren't telegraphed 20 minutes in advance in real life.

This riveting package comes in a small box. It was filmed on a small budget, but the claustrophobic quarters that provide the setting for the majority of the movie only add to the horror and futility of the situation. Considering that this is Chris Gorak's first film, I haven't been this excited about a debut since Shane Carruth's Primer (what's HE up to now?). Hitchcock ain't got nothin' on Chris Gorak!

Highly, HIGHLY Recommended!

This movie is a great edge of your seat thriller with a huge twist at the end!

RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR is the terrifying story of the all-too possible "dirty bomb" detonation scenario. It takes us into a home in a suburban neighborhood, seals us in w/ the occupant, and allows us to experience the paranoia, horror, and tragedy for ourselves. Brad (Rory Cochrane) finds himself trapped in his own home, unable to get accurate, truthful information about the sudden disaster. He and a neighbor tape clear plastic over every door, window, and vent, in hopes of keeping out a raining ash-cloud of unknown substances. In the meantime, Brad's wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) returns home, only to be refused entry due to her possibly being "infected"! RAYD is a wonderfully bleak, realistic bio-terror thriller w/ a wicked twist at the end! Better stock up on that duct tape and 6mil. poly-sheeting...

Just loved this story about a terror attack introducing a pathogen and the psychological and social effects from the event. It kept me enthralled. The ending is a great twist. Kinda horrifying.

What would you do if terror struck home? Would you risk contamination to save a loved one? Would you trust the government to help you if you were infected? Could the news be relied on for the truth? These are all questions that must be examined while watching RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR, an apocalyptic Suspense Thriller in the vein of BUG and REC. After a series of 'dirty bombs' encase Los Angeles in a poisonous cloud, a husband and his infected wife must struggle to survive on opposite sides of the plastic sheets sealing their home. Mixed reports delivered in a Wellesian fashion filter in through the radio and television broadcasts, while the couple must hide to avoid capture from suspicious military officials. The film strikes an emotional chord in the wake of 9/11, tapping in to real life terrors that hit close to home. Director Chris Gorak implements a hyper-kinetic filming and editing style that intensifies the frantic pace and panic in the streets, while the tiny windows into the outside world delivered through the media create a huge scope on a small scale. Just when the script seems like it has no where to go due to its cramped shooting location, jarring suspense sequences and sharp twists maintain a steady forward momentum. The limited cast members deliver powerful and effective performances that also serve to drive an emotional high from start to finish. Lock your doors, seal your windows, then pop in RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR for a smart and frightening disaster flick.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Having seen the positive reviews and the negative reviews for this movie, I had to enter in my own for the first time because I believe that the reason people are reviewing it negatively is because they were A) expecting a horror movie, which this is not, B) don't seem to understand that in a crisis situation such as the one depicted here, yes, people in reality WOULD be screaming at each other, cursing, not thinking straight, panicking and worse, and that it's hardly overdone in this movie, or C) just mad at the characters for not being smarter or more able to anticipate the nature of the mysterious toxic threat since, well, you know, everyone and their mother these days are apparently experts on biological/chemical/radiologic agents.

If you think you can watch this movie without A, B, or C, then I think you're going to enjoy it, and at the very least, it will make you think about some of the hard questions that emergency personnel must ask when they are responding to a large-scale event . . . and the questions we must ask ourselves as possible victims of such an event.

The characters are a realistic couple (reminds me of Rashida Jones's character, Ann, and her boyfriend from Parks and Recreation!), and although you don't get too much character development before the terrorist attack, in my mind they were very believable, very real, and everyday people with realistic responses to the situations presented in the film. Most of the negative reviews seem to rip on the characters and their reactions to what occurred in the movie as atypical and unbelievable, but I found them to be quite plausible and consistent for people under stress and threat of death, and who were simply trying to survive while being pummeled repeatedly and emotionally by the evolving disaster.

I won't give away the ending, but through it all, you, the viewer, can't help but ask yourself what you would do in the situation. Presented with an unbearable decision to make, what would you do . . . would you survive at any cost, would you be true to higher moral standards, would you want your loved ones to sacrifice themselves for you, would you trust in your government and neighbors to see you through, would you sacrifice yourself for the good of others? And what, if any, consequences could you eventually face for your decisions?

The one thing I will agree with as far as the negatives surrounding this film involves the biochemical agent in question. It is 100% unrealistic for the agent, as described (but I won't give it away), to demonstrate the properties it does in the movie from a purely scientific perspective. However, if one can suspend their disbelief on this one aspect of the film, and instead commit to the uncertainty of the nature of the biochemical threat as a core part of what moves this film, the rest of it is quite a ride.