With movies such as Paradise Now and World Trade Center, it is no longer solely the news media's job to speculate on the subject of terrorist attack and its implications. This timely addition to the genre, takes a look at what happens to one Los Angeles couple when their city is subjected to a chemical bomb attack.

At this year's Sundance Film Festival, Right At Your Door won the Cinematography Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, two excellent achievements for first time director Chris Gorak, who has previously served as Art Director on such fare as Fight Club and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The story begins with Brad (A Scanner Darkly's Rory Cochrane) bidding goodbye to his business-suited wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) and preparing for another day in the life of a struggling musician, loping around the house his wife's job pays for, drinking coffee and strumming on his guitar if he feels inspired. His inactivity is disrupted by an emergency radio broadcast announcing that explosive devices have been set off in downtown LA, where Lexi works, and Brad immediately sets off to rescue his wife. However it soon becomes clear that these bombs are 'dirty', i.e. they contain unspecified chemicals, and when Brad is stopped at every exit by gas-masked cops, he returns to the house, where the neighbour's handyman asks to for temporary shelter, and it becomes clear they will have to barricade themselves in and seal all windows and doors to survive. Then Lexi turns up and some tough decisions have to be made.

Gorak wisely chooses to localise what is a gigantic state of affairs by concentrating solely on what this young couple go through, and not venturing too far away from the house at any stage. The film's colour is drained and it maintains an unsettling hue of grey, with the shaky handheld camerawork adding to the effect, particularly when the 'toxic ash' begins to descend on the suburb. Both leads needed to be strong to carry what could have become far too slushy, and they are exceptional. The dynamic of their relationship is revealed in snatches of dialogue, but burning issues are never simply spelled out, as Brad speaks to Lexi through plastic coverings blocking her from entering 'her own house'. A few characters come and go, but this adds to the claustrophobic effect, as these people are as much strangers to the couple as they are to us. The unnerving, complementary soundtrack is a series of tense ambient pulsations, which serve to heighten the sense of fear, panic and helplessness the characters are feeling.

The film's strength is the premise, which will have you placing yourself in Brad's boots and wondering what you would do in his predicament. While the drama slows slightly in the middle section, the final scenes set up a pleasingly uncomfortable ending, which may throw up a new set of questions and even leave the sadist in you more than a little content.

Rated 15A (see IFCO website for details)
Right at Your Door is released on 8th Septemeber 2006.