Yasuko (Keiko Takahashi) is alone. The kind of alone where even though she has a husband and a son, she's alone. Longingly alone. Trapped at home all day, unless she's running errands. She lives for her family and the only people that she often interacts with are the constant sales calls and salesmen knocking at her door. Some of them are pretty determined. Not all of them are as deranged as Yamakawa (Daijirô Tsutsumi).

He wants to sell her English lessons and she's made a mistake by leaving the door just chained and not locked. His invasion of her high rise apartment is dealt with by slamming the door, injuring his hand. That's not where things end.

Yamakawa -- like many of the salesmen -- knows way too much about his marks. Now, he starts calling Yasuko constantly, breathing heavy, leaving obscenity-laced messages and even leaving tissues stained with his bodily fluids in her mailbox. He nearly gets into her bedroom before her son comes home from school. Yamakawa is innocent now, joining mother and son for a friendly dinner, an invader smiling at the table.

Director Banmei Takahashi, who co-wrote Door with Ataru Oikawa, has a career filled with movies that infuse sex and violence. Incredibly, Keiko Takahashi is his wife and he puts her through hell here, but in the final moments of the movie, she rises above, literal chainsaw in hand, and pays her attacker back. She never apologized for breaking his hand and she's not about to apologize now.

This was followed by two sequels, Door II: Tokyo Diary about a call girl and the risks she takes, and Door III, in which a salesgirl is "stalked by the strange and supernatural," which means that now I need to hunt down both of those movies.

Man, the sound of that doorbell is making me nervous now.

No pun intended - also the main character does not want to do that anyway. I reckon you could call that clever. On the other hand, certain circumstances make things even worse. It also says a lot about your neighbors who care more about when you take the trash out (there are only certain days you are allowed to do so - stinky floors and all that), but not so much about your well being.

The apartment is quite big I have to admit. I reckon the man of the house earns a lot of money - never been to Japan but I don't think the 80s were cheaper than they are now ... and now apparently it is quite ... well expensive. So suspend your disbelief and go or rather stay home with those crazy characters.

Some interesting effects - and a mother who has to go above and beyond ... who is left to clean up the mess though? Well you have to watch and see ... it is a slow burner for most of the time ... but when the mayhem starts ... well there is no hiding ... especially when the camera follows you (a scene that is shot from above is just amazing to say the least) ...

I really liked this and it was so much more thrilling than I thought it would have been. She is there as a beautiful mother and her sweet little boy in this high rise apartment and threatened one after another with spam calls and door to door salesmen. Just this couple and these annoying interruptions and between that front door. It is a strong one, often in Japan being a steel one, and with splendid locks and chain. But there is one guy who is really upset and is sure that he was going to get in. It begins to get something more personal. It is clever that although we are really just in this flat for about an hour it has much suspense and then he gets inside and it is something else. Of course it becomes terrible but somehow Banmei Takahashi also provides some humour and I just about manage to smile in between.