Civic Duty – A Paranoid Rollercoaster with a Dash of Reality

So, I watched “Civic Duty,” a thriller directed by Jeff Renfroe and starring Peter Krause. You might remember him from “Six Feet Under” — the guy can act, no question there. But here, he’s on a real tightrope, and I’m not quite sure he keeps his balance the whole way through.

The film digs into that post-9/11 anxiety we all felt, like a knot in your stomach that just won’t untangle. Krause plays Terry, an ordinary guy who becomes obsessed with his new neighbor. It’s like, imagine you’re sitting in a café in Gamla Stan, everyone around speaking in whispers. You’re trying to enjoy your kanelbulle, but the paranoia won’t let you.

Now, the film’s produced by John Flock, and honestly, it’s got this edge that kept me guessing. But man, sometimes it feels like they’re cranking the tension dial up to eleven, and it just… doesn’t stop. A bit like having too much salt on your strömming, ya know?

A quick detour down memory lane — back in the early 2000s during a summer trip, I spotted a guy in Södermalm who I was sure was sneaking glances at me in some shady way. Spoiler alert, he was just looking out for his spacey dog that kept wandering off. The film chucks that kind of gut suspicion at you, then asks you to sort it all.

The biggest beef I’ve got with it, though, is that while the suspense is there, the payoff kinda snoozes. The themes, though, they hit home, reminding me of those weird almost Big Brother days. Makes you wonder about watching too much news and how it stirs up those shadows and secrets in your head.

Give “Civic Duty” a go if you’re into that tense, nerve-jangling stuff, but don’t expect all your questions answered. It’s more about poking into our collective psyche and dangling unanswered ends.

Check the trailer below