The Chain Reaction

A conspiracy thriller based around the increasingly familiar theme of nuclear contamination and corporate cover-up, Chain Reaction neatly illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of popular Australian cinema. Its opening is pacy and visually assured, with an effective series of chases and shocks. But once it's necessary to introduce some characters, the script becomes intensely awkward and the whole plot begins to lose its bearings. Only the trappings of apocalypse (radiation suits, zombie-like guards) retain any of the intended impact.