Civic Duty April 27, 2006

Director Jeff Renfroe redefines the roles of terrorist and terrorized in this post-September 11 take on Rear Window. On the surface, Terry Allen (Peter Krause) appears to be a model American citizen. He dresses well, has a charming wife, and makes a decent living as an accountant. But after he loses his job and his mortgage application falls through, he quickly sinks into a media-fueled obsession with his country's war on terrorism. When a Muslim student named Gabe Hassan unexpectedly moves in next door, Allen's fears are further exacerbated. He shadows Hassan, examines his trash, and decides to file a report with the local FBI office. Meanwhile, Allen's wife watches in horror as her once liberal husband scours most-wanted lists and monitors Hassan's home with the trademark mania of a government agent gone-wrong. While the FBI case officer (Richard Schiff) drags his heels, Allen takes matters into his own hands. He unlawfully enters Hassan's home and his findings furtherhis suspicions. As the film draws nearer to its horrifying conclusion, the line between terrorist and nationalist becomes frighteningly unclear. Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga and Six Feet Under star Peter Krause both deliver electric performances in this taut psychological thriller.
- Rowan Riley

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of globetrotterny.