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If you've seen movies about airborne toxins, you know the breach of an enclosed space means the people inside will be just as dead as their unprotected counterparts. These life-or-death politics come to the fore in Right at Your Door, as a biological attack on Los Angeles separates a man from his wife by the thin pane of glass in their front door. This is the literal secondary meaning to the title's metaphor for terrorism hitting close to home, as Chris Gorak's film chillingly dramatizes how quickly and irrevocably decisions are made in the face of sudden catastrophe. Gorak captures an excellent sense of the general chaos of a dirty bomb, then personalizes it through the story of Brad (Rory Cochrane) and Lexi (Mary McCormack). We first meet Lexi a third of the way into the movie, when she stumbles home from the office, already showing the effects of her exposure. The stakes are instantly laid bare -- if he allows her inside his systematically constructed quarantine zone, whatever's happening to her will happen to him. But standing idly by as she bangs on windows and descends into panic is also a terrible option. Right at Your Door is best when exploring logistical conundrums, such as Brad and his handyman instinctively duct-taping themselves inside the home -- only to realize that the handyman wants to break the seal and leave, and the new circumstances have obliterated the former employer-employee dynamics of their relationship. Cochrane and McCormack pour their all into the situation, processing the various stages of anger, guilt, fear, even hope. Lexi's phone call to her family in the middle of the night is a particular gut punch. Right at Your Door has some third act problems that prevent it from totally delivering on its potential, but it's a valuable addition to the disaster-paranoia genre, filled with conversation-starting ethical quandaries. Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

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