Civic Duty

Angry and depressed over losing his job, accountant Terry Allen (Peter Krause) begins to suspect that his new Middle Eastern neighbor is at the center of a terrorist conspiracy. Terry becomes obsessed about revealing the man's true identity and finally takes matters into his own hands with shocking results.

A nervy, claustrophobic look at post-9/11 anti-terrorism hysteria, CIVIC DUTY asks the difficult question: What would you do if you thought you next-door neighbor might be a terrorist? Our proxy in this rapid slide into paranoia is Terry Allen (Peter Krause, SIX FEET UNDER) a newly unemployed accountant. With large amounts of free time, Terry finds himself glued to cable news channels and their constant updates of homeland security and threat of jihad from Muslim extremists.

After noticing that Gabe (Khaled Abol Naga), the new neighbor across the courtyard in his apartment complex, is Middle Eastern and is often carrying boxes into his apartment with other Middle Eastern men, Terry becomes suspicious. After he notifies an FBI agent (Richard Schiff) of Gabe's possibly dangerous activities, Terry's own behavior becomes increasingly manic and dangerous, threatening both his marriage and his sanity. A small film that effectively poses difficult questions, CIVIC DUTY boasts a fine performance from Krause (who is also co-producer).

Critic Reviews:

• " It does build up considerable suspense and tension; Renfroe has learned well from Hitchcock. " – Richard Nilsen

• " Civic Duty pulls us into the post-9/11 hysteria that felt ready to pop in America. " – C.H. Newell

• " Terrorism can make you crazy. Or more accurately, U.S. media hype about terrorism can drive you to believe. " – Cynthia Fuchs