DOORS (2021) is a lo-fi sci-fi anthology movie with a killer premise and compelling moments marred by an overall somewhat flawed execution. Despite its problems, I quite liked it for its sense of weird mystery. I watched it on Amazon Prime.
One day, alien “doors” suddenly appear all over the world. In the ensuing panic, many people seem to connect with the doors, apparently mesmerized, and pass through them. Millions lost in a single day. In response, the government sends in “knockers,” teams of scientists trying to figure out what’s on the other side. Every effort appears frustrated until a hermit manages the seemingly impossible, only even this may not ultimately matter in what comes next.
I just love that premise. The movie does a great job creating a sense of existential dread and cosmic horror as humanity is confronted by something monstrous, incomprehensible, and apparently carrying out an agenda. It’s the kind of thing that made THE LEFTOVERS so interesting to watch.
The trouble with the movie comes from its pacing and the fact it’s an anthology. The film feels a bit inert at times, and while it’s fairly cohesive, there’s little sense of a real story. Instead, the four episodes tend to feel somewhat incomplete.
Nonetheless, I love how much the filmmakers accomplished with the interesting premise and what appeared to be a very small budget. A lot happens off screen, wonderfully left to our imagination, and where there are special effects, they’re strategic and well handled. The movie shines in its mystery and falters a bit when it tries to explain things, so you have to simply love the mystery.
Overall, I wasn’t sure about this one at first but I gradually got sucked into it and found it a fun and weird watch.
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