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Doors
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Flawed but intriguing sci-fi anthology; language, violence.

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Doors
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What's the Story?
In DOORS, four high school students are serving detention when something happens. Their teacher leaves the classroom and never returns, and their phones start blowing up. They investigate and find a mysterious "door" that seems to be calling one of them, Ash (Kathy Khanh Nguyen). A couple of weeks later, Becky (Lina Esco) and Vince (Josh Peck) volunteer to become "Knockers": people who explore the strange worlds beyond the doors. Their time inside reveals secret things about themselves. Finally, 101 days after the doors appeared, scientist Jamal (Kyp Malone) invites a former colleague to his remote cabin to show her a door that not only has he been studying -- he's also been communicating with it.
Is It Any Good?
Sometimes a bit inert and intermittently frustrating, this sci-fi anthology movie still has enough intriguing ideas and arresting visuals to make it worth seeing -- and worth thinking about. Doors is fairly cohesive for an anthology film, given that the three main stories take place in the same world and within the same situation, just at different times. The movie's wraparound segments and coda feature a podcaster called Martin Midnight, who snarkily comments on the events, although it becomes clear that the movie isn't really on board with him. Interestingly, sympathies here seem to lie with those who are more liable to try to connect and communicate than to blow things sky high.
The focus of the first segment is Ash, who is nonbinary (they correct a classmate with "I am not a her!"). The door in this episode speaks directly to them. The second segment is notable for its eerie dream logic, which depicts the ever shifting realities inside the doors that seem determined to test those who come inside. The third segment is the least dynamic but again seems to frown on violence and to champion connection -- although the final denouement suggests another direction. Doors falters mainly when it cooks up its absurd sci-fi exposition and when it focuses on the literal rather than the mystery, but fortunately, there's enough mystery to keep things interesting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Doors' violence. How did it make you feel? Is violence celebrated or frowned on in this story? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How are LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color represented in the film? Did you notice any stereotypes? Why is representation important in the media?
What does the movie's ending say about the future of humanity -- and the characters who tried to make a connection?
What kinds of things do the "Knockers" discover inside the doors? What do they mean? Would you volunteer to be a Knocker?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 19, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: March 23, 2021
- Cast: Lina Esco , Josh Peck , Kyp Malone
- Directors: Jeff Desom , Saman Kesh , Dugan O'Neal
- Inclusion Information: Latino actors
- Studio: Epic Pictures Releasing
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Run time: 81 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 30, 2023
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