15, 96 mins
Right at Your Door is a portrait of fear and paranoia that seems like a counterblast to the September 11 anniversary programmes celebrating courage and solidarity. When dirty bombs strike downtown Los Angeles, an unemployed musician (Rory Cochrane), having failed to find his wife (Mary McCormack), seals himself within his house to avoid contamination. She finally makes it home only to be refused entry as toxic ash descends.
This first-time feature by the production designer Chris Gorak (Fight Club, Minority Report) is not only post-9/11 but also post-Katrina. The suspicion that the authorities’ response is not all that it should be permeates the film. Gorak uses radio reports (moving from initial confusion and horror to sinisterly bland government reassurances), concerned but unhelpful calls from family and friends, and distant glimpses of the bombings’ aftermath to conjure up a sense of dread and disaster. Sadly, after a gripping opening it flags somewhat as Cochrane and McCormack run the emotional gamut while a twist ending gives the impression that we’ve left the hot zone for The Twilight Zone. Still, it’s a bold low- budget debut.
IAN JOHNS