Forearm Shiver

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A normal day turns into a nightmare in this low-key but disturbing thriller that gnaws at all our deepest fears in a post 9/11 world. The setting is a quiet suburban home in Los Angeles, where self-employed Brad (Rory Cochrane of CSI: Miami fame) is seeing Lexi (Mary McCormack) off to work. But the deployment of several "dirty" bombs across the city shatters the calm, wreaking havoc in the streets and filling the air with toxic ash. Debut writer/director Chris Gorak doesn't rely on special effects here - events are seen (and heard) from the perspective of the two protagonists, with details of the disaster filtered through radio broadcasts, news reports and phone calls. And, after a tense opening half hour, the film subtly shifts gear to become an ingenious study of survivalism. With Lexi's unexpected return to their now-quarantined home, Brad must decide whether to let her in and risk infection or leave her to die. Keep watching: there's a gut-punching twist in this unnerving tale.