Starts off quickly and the first 1/3 feels very realistic. Just like what you might do even when sealing off the house with anything you can find. Second third is a little slow as the dynamics between the characters works out. Last third moves faster as you're not sure exactly what is going to happen and the ending wasn't what I expected.
Some people have complained that this isn't what happens if a dirt bomb goes off but that isn't the point. They created an external threat to show us how relations between a couple and between the population and the government occur under pressure. Maybe a little bit too much yelling and then reminiscing. But I found it overall engaging if slow in parts.
Major Spoiler: I found the main male character weak as we are supposed to. He went from loving spouse, stressed out into a blank state by his missing wife to someone protecting his life at all costs and letting his wife die alone. We are told a number of times that he has no family but his wife. He says she is what makes him get up in the morning. So he has no one to leave behind and loves only her.
*But he doesn't let her in and his first excuse was the other person in the house. *When that person leaves to go find his wife, that excuse is gone but he still doesn't let his wife in. *When a child gets involved, he still doesn't let her and the child in. *He lets her run off to the hospital with a neighbour/coworker even though he's hearing on the radio to not go. *When they take her away at the end, he could have been out that door in seconds. It's just locked with plastic duct taped around it. One good pull and it would all open. Instead he pounds the door, but not enough to break the plastic or glass. He lets her get taken away.
So after being weak the whole movie and locking himself in inside, the plot turns against him.
Last minor thing and common in movies, is that sealing the door and windows as happens at the end, always seems to stop the person from escaping. That might if it was a break house. But in any wooden house, you can rip off the gyprock in seconds, pull out the insulation and fairly easily rip out a 2x4 stud. Then you just kick at the outside sheeting until it comes off. Use the 2x4 as a prybar. Even just to punch an initial hole for fresh air. Easier than trying to kick down a barrier over the door. At least this time we can give him an excuse as he was panicking.
Some people have complained that this isn't what happens if a dirt bomb goes off but that isn't the point. They created an external threat to show us how relations between a couple and between the population and the government occur under pressure. Maybe a little bit too much yelling and then reminiscing. But I found it overall engaging if slow in parts.
Major Spoiler: I found the main male character weak as we are supposed to. He went from loving spouse, stressed out into a blank state by his missing wife to someone protecting his life at all costs and letting his wife die alone. We are told a number of times that he has no family but his wife. He says she is what makes him get up in the morning. So he has no one to leave behind and loves only her.
*But he doesn't let her in and his first excuse was the other person in the house. *When that person leaves to go find his wife, that excuse is gone but he still doesn't let his wife in. *When a child gets involved, he still doesn't let her and the child in. *He lets her run off to the hospital with a neighbour/coworker even though he's hearing on the radio to not go. *When they take her away at the end, he could have been out that door in seconds. It's just locked with plastic duct taped around it. One good pull and it would all open. Instead he pounds the door, but not enough to break the plastic or glass. He lets her get taken away.
So after being weak the whole movie and locking himself in inside, the plot turns against him.
Last minor thing and common in movies, is that sealing the door and windows as happens at the end, always seems to stop the person from escaping. That might if it was a break house. But in any wooden house, you can rip off the gyprock in seconds, pull out the insulation and fairly easily rip out a 2x4 stud. Then you just kick at the outside sheeting until it comes off. Use the 2x4 as a prybar. Even just to punch an initial hole for fresh air. Easier than trying to kick down a barrier over the door. At least this time we can give him an excuse as he was panicking.