Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (2013)

Directed by: Sam Fleischner
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors” is one of the most compelling dramas recently released in the US, depicting the perilous adventure of Ricky, an autistic young boy who gets trapped in the huge New York City subway system. Ricky lives in Queens with his undocumented immigrant mother, Mariana, and his older sister, Carla. His father is absent working upstate and Mariana has to manage everything by herself. She is perfectly aware of her son’s special needs but even though she tries by all means that he remains in public school. Certain day, the reckless Carla decides to wander with her best friend Sara after school, leaving Ricky by himself. Disoriented, he will spend a few days lost in the dark labyrinthine underground, managing to eat, drink, sleep and relieve himself, even if not always in a conscious or planned way. At home, the helpless Mariana alternates between despair and hope, while Carla slowly seems to gain some conscience of her actions. Capturing the multicultural diversity of the big city through an often-blurry lens of autumnal pale grey tones, confident director Sam Fleischner, who also shares a career as cinematographer, was able to put up more tension than a large number of horror movies and create genuine dramatic moments without overdoing them. The simple yet sensational script was co-written by the habitual sound mixer, Micah Bloomberg, along with Rose Lichter-Marck. Debutant trio of main actors did a wonderful job, in a film that won’t be easily forgotten, also working as a call of attention for those who look without seeing.