The global unrest that followed in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States proved to be a phenomenon truly unlike any in the history of modern society. Paranoia, suspicion and mistrust were the order of the day and western government’s insistence that the number one priority of homeland security was to be pulverized into our consciousness via television, newspapers and endless public speeches became a reality for years to come. Many of us continue to ask ourselves whether or not we actually are safer as a result of increased security at airports, government access to personal information or even through the implementation of microchips implanted in human subjects to track one’s every move. Whether these are rightful safety precautions or merely a smokescreen to keep citizens oblivious to more impending dangers remains to be seen, however we can all relate to the horror of inhumanity and the merciless hatred it displays when taking innocent lives. Playing on the fears of a post-9/11 zeitgeist, Right at Your Door is a relentlessly suspenseful portrait of an ordinary couple thrust into an abrupt nightmare of panic, confusion and near insanity as a result of half truths and outright lies permeated by government authority.
THE LOWDOWN: On the dawn of a seemingly ordinary day in Los Angeles, aspiring musician Brad (Rory Cochrane) farewells his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) as she leaves for work. Shortly thereafter reports start flooding in over the airwaves about supposed ‘dirty bombs’ detonating in and around the greater metropolitan area, resulting in widespread chaos and confusion throughout the city’s residents. Failing to contact his wife by phone, Brad makes off in his car in a desperate search toward the city, however every effort to get there is met with resistance by gas-masked police. As toxic ash from the bomb smoke begins to fill the sky, Brad decides to take the advice of local radio stations and hermetically seal off his house in an attempt to conceal himself from the poisonous mist outside. But can his wife return home safely before it’s too late? And even then, will they ever have any hope of finding out exactly what they’ve been exposed to or who permitted the attack?
THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: Politically charged films sometimes run the risk of becoming too indicative of the era in which they were made and upon subsequent viewings and/or revisitation years later can feel dated, or at worst irrelevant. Deeply affected by the aftermath of the 2001 attacks on New York City and the state of the American psyche as a result, first-time writer-director Chris Gorak set out to make a film that reflected the intensely paranoid disposition and fearful outlook his home country exhibited during the new millennium’s sombre beginning. Taking the basic conceit of a terrorist siege scenario and using it as an allegory for the average American’s post-9/11 anxiety, Right at Your Door is an intensely personal story; one that relies heavily on the credibility of it’s premise and performances for emotional investment. The film resides somewhere between genre convention and uber-realism, deftly positing a frighteningly plausible concept with the script smarts and social awareness to back it up so that it never feels contrived or cinematically convenient. Furthermore, Gorak embraces his low budget and limited production resources by retaining a strong focus on the degrading psychology of the characters as they strive to maintain a sense of hope and stability between one another, rarely taking the film’s viewpoint outside the house to break the frenetic mood.
After the first 20-30 minutes it’s understandable one might feel a little sceptical as to whether or not Right at Your Door will struggle with the longevity of it’s premise, especially considering 90% of the film takes place within the gaffer-taped walls and windows of a boarded up suburban home with it’s two protagonists waiting around for supposed ‘medical attention’ that may or may not even arrive. One way Gorak manages to sustain watchability throughout such a restricted set of circumstances is by opening the film with such a strong first act, throwing the audience head-first into a situation that inherently disorients both us and its characters simultaneously. As information about the attack is sporadically revealed - either through Lexi’s observations outside the house or by ominous visitation by military quarantine personnel – nothing is ever entirely clear as to what the repercussions of the airborne infection are or just how extensive the damage throughout the city really is. Moreover, as the film progresses into its final third and optimism for its characters continues to dwindle, it becomes clear the story can only remain believable if it were to continue it’s nihilistic perspective and end on a downbeat note. However, if you think the film’s fate is irrefutably telegraphed before its eventual unveiling, Gorak unleashes a cruel final twist in the closing minutes that is sure to chill you to the bone for hours after the end credits have rolled.
DOOMED CHARACTERS: So much of the screen time in Right at Your Door is devoted to observing how an ordinary couple might react to an unimaginably horrific set of circumstances and the subsequent impact of extreme emotional pressure inflicted upon the human mind as a result. Brad and Lexi are not celebrities or people in a higher position of power: they are regular people living in a regular working-class neighbourhood who, one day out of nowhere, are thrust into a hellish ordeal neither they nor anyone around them can readily explain. In many ways the film monitors the actions of its characters in an almost clinically intimate way; every subtle emotion is scrutinized and dissected - almost to the point of mirroring the reality of a documentary. Cochrane and McCormack deliver astonishingly realised performances, each exuding a level of honesty and frankness that is impossible to ignore (most notably during the early scenes detailing Brad’s increasing anxiety as he tries endlessly to contact his wife in the wake of the blast), further serving to highlight the delicacy of the story at hand. Gorak also utilizes the growing tension between his protagonists to further articulate the film’s auxiliary themes of disinformation and government responsibility, those of which are consummated in the most direct way possible in the films’ heartbreakingly finale.
THE LOOK OF FEAR: Conceptually, the topical subject matter embedded within the core story of Right at Your Door hints toward a considerably more expansive movie, both in size and budget. Ironically however, the budgetary limitations beset by the production and Gorak’s appropriately personal take on the implied politics not only make for a more intriguing story but also a more visually arresting journey as well. By no means an easy feat, cinematographer Tom Richmond embraces the guerilla aesthetic by shooting the majority of the mayhem handheld and on Super 16mm, keeping any and all lighting sparse and the bulk of the action contained within the family home for maximum vérité effect. Some of the most haunting visuals featured in the film are often the most simple (eg, the showers of toxic ash drifting through the neighborhood, soldiers staring coldly through their gas masks at unsuspecting residents, etc), communicating so much with so little. Furthermore, editor Jeffrey M. Werner’s splicing instincts are right in tune with the movie’s consciousness, alternating between an immediate sense of urgency to a more subdued composure depending on the action.
THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: In a genre largely dominated by conventional music scores and stock sound FX, the extensive audio accompaniment and pulsating sonics on display in Right at Your Door are something special indeed. Instilling a mindset of realism at its creative forefront at all times, the film’s aural assault is persistent and unwavering (especially during the stunning opening sequence) in a way that is both shatteringly authentic and surreally eerie. Such momentous realism is further exemplified via another reliably moody score by genre regulars tomandandy. These guys have really made a name for themselves as uniquely innovative in their approach to cinematic horror (eg, The Mothman Prophecies, The Strangers, P2, etc) and always bring with them an astute sensitivity to the most subtle of atmospherics.
FINAL THOUGHTS: While it may not have super repetitive replay value, Right at Your door is an irrefutably strong debut from an assured filmmaker who cares deeply about rustling feathers in his audience. Political, poignant and uncompromising in its intentions, this is a film that will have you talking both during and after watching. Recommended.
Dir: Chris Gorak
Writer: Chris Gorak
Cast: Rory Cochrane, Mary McCormack, Tony Perez, Scotty Noyd Jr
Run Time: 96mins
Country: USA
Rating: MA15+
Ohhh looks interesting. Tell me what happens in the end :D
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