Civic Duty

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Civic Duty

R

2006

1h 38m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Terry Allen (Peter Krause), an unemployed accountant, has time on his hands and chooses to spend it by snooping on his new Middle Eastern neighbor, Gabe Hassan (Khaled Abol Naga). Despite his wife's (Kari Matchett) protests, Terry becomes increasingly paranoid about Gabe's activities and is determined to prove he is a terrorist.

Critics Consensus

At times a tense and provocative thriller, Civic Duty struggles to move beyond its one-note premise.

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

A flawed but worthwhile examination of paranoia and clashing cultures in the 21st century.

May 21, 2007

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Richard Nilsen

Arizona Republic

It does build up considerable suspense and tension; Renfroe has learned well from Hitchcock.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 5, 2007

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Mark Holcomb

Time Out

The film's pace lags toward the end, but its grasp of manufactured fear's dreary pervasiveness never falters.

Rated: 4/6

May 5, 2007

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Ed Travis

Hollywood Jesus

The questions Civic Duty raises are better than the movie itself.

Apr 10, 2020

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C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

Civic Duty pulls us into the post-9/11 hysteria that felt ready to pop in America.

Rated: 4/5

May 7, 2019

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Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

mostly suffers from overwriting

Rated: 2/5

Oct 16, 2007

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 38 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

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Audience Member

Pretty effective thriller, Civic Duty starring Peter Krause is a low budget picture that manages to be entertaining from start to finish despite its limitations. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the film. Released in the years following 9/11, the film emphasizes on the paranoia at the time when America were in a state of vulnerability. The film is engaging a truly riveting from start to finish. Of course the film could have been improved upon, but for what it is, it's a well crafted film that manages to be far better than what you might think. Krause is great in the lead role, and the film overall relies on a good idea, but at the same time, we've seen better films dealing with similar subjects. Despite its limitations, Civic Duty is one of those movies that are quite engaging considering its budget and simple premise. There are moments in the film where it gets very intense, and you are sucked into its plot. I'll admit that a few times it was silly, but overall, I enjoyed the film, and thought it was a well directed and thrilling film that despite a few weak parts is a picture worth seeing if you enjoy the genre. Krause is a good actor, and his work on Six Feet Under is proof of that, and like I previously said, he is good in the film, and manages to make the film better than it is. For a low budget thriller, Civic Duty is one of the better ones, but it never does reach its full potential, and it somehow leaves you wanting a bit more. Worth seeing if you have nothing else better to do.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Audience Member

Awesome movie! I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

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Audience Member

At times a tense and provocative thriller, Civic Duty struggles to move beyond its one-note premise.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Should have turned this off right after I saw the BC license plate on the car when it is suppose to be taking place in the US..Props Fail..DP Fail..Director Fail..Editor Fail.....was a sign of things to come. If you see this on Netflix...skip it!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I think the pre-constructed image of Muslims as Terrorists has become really old news .. but the movie was solid good though.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

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Jeff Renfroe

Director

Peter Krause

Terry Allen

Kari Matchett

Marla Allen

Ian Tracey

Lt. Lloyd

Richard Schiff

Agent Hillary

Kal Naga

Gabe Hassan

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Civic Duty‘s Peter Krause Talks TV, Terrorism, and Paranoia

"Civic Duty’s" Peter Krause Talks TV, Terrorism, And Paranoia

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Synopsis

Terry Allen (Peter Krause), an unemployed accountant, has time on his hands and chooses to spend it by snooping on his new Middle Eastern neighbor, Gabe Hassan (Khaled Abol Naga). Despite his wife's (Kari Matchett) protests, Terry becomes increasingly paranoid about Gabe's activities and is determined to prove he is a terrorist.

Director: Jeff Renfroe
Producer: Tina Pehme, Kim Roberts, Peter Krause, Andrew Joiner, Andrew Lanter
Screenwriter: Andrew Joiner
Production Co: Civic Duty Productions
Rating: R (Some Threatening Situations|Language)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 2007
Release Date (Streaming): May 13, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.9K
Runtime: 1h 38m