Friend & Foe
Having already tried to enter France, in order to study engineering, Ahmed Ressam (Chenier Hundal), from Algeria, finds himself turned away so he heads to Canada where despite issues with his papers he is allowed entry. It is there whilst studying that Ahmed works in a small cafe but finds himself becoming despondent with the constant rejection he faces from the white girls he asks out. It is how he ends up being taken under the wing of Majid (Reda Guerinik), who raises funds for the 'Muslim Relief Fund', a cover for Al-Qaeda. Canadian Secret Service Agent Paul Pelletier (Chris William Martin - Nature Unleashed: Volcano) went to high school with Nicole (Kathleen Robertson - Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story), the white wife of Majid, who converted to being a Muslim before they got married. Their friendship leads to the CSS stopping Majid as the leader of a terrorist cell but then Ressam takes over his plans which target LAX airport.
Even those movies made for TV generally get a few reviews and so when I came across "The Terrorist Next Door" nine years after its release but found none on another popular movie website it surprised me. Of course that may be down to "The Terrorist Next Door" being a combination of TV Movie and a drama about the capture of a terrorist, a combination which might not sound like some thing that fans of TV movies might enjoy. And to be honest those I know who seek out movies about terrorists, especially those based on true events, watch movies for their realism and grit, not something you tend to say about TV Movies.
Now that leads me to what for me is the issue with "The Terrorist Next Door" as it wants to make the events surrounding the CSS catching a terrorist dramatic but at the same time easy to watch and follow for a TV movie loving audience, something which just doesn't seem right. Despite this I have to say that "The Terrorist Next Door" is still an interesting movie especially when it focuses on how the dejected Ressam ends up influenced by Majid who could see that his disappointments made him easy to turn, so to speak. Unfortunately whilst this part of the movie is interesting the whole work of the CSS with Paul being friendly with Nicole, a terrorist's wife, just doesn't work so well, easy to follow but not that enthralling.
What this all boils down to is that "The Terrorist Next Door" certainly has an interesting side to it which is easy to watch and follow. But it isn't the most entertaining of dramas and often struggles to fully command your attention.
