Sanctuary on AllMovie

An eager young doctoral candidate confronts the famous subject of his explosively critical thesis in this claustrophobic but gripping Australian drama. The subject is Robert King, a well-known magazine correspondent and anchor man who has returned to Australia after an extended visit to the US following his puzzling rejection of a $10 million web contract. To get some quiet, King has come to stay in his posh home located beside a peaceful harbor. It is there that he first encounters the student John Alderston. In his thesis, which is slated to be published commercially, Alderston maintains that King exchanged journalistic integrity for big bucks. He sites specific examples in South America and Southeast Asia and blames King for not properly informing Americans of important international events. During the confrontation Alderston is edgy and filled with self-righteousness. At first King patiently attempts to give Alderston a perspective of the '70s when the problems occurred. He explains, that he had written far more powerful material, but that his editor's censored him. As the exchange continues, the situation becomes increasingly tense until a fight erupts. After the scuffle, Alderston fears that he has inadvertently killed King. To make matters worse, he has managed to lock himself inside the nearly impenetrable home and must remain there with the body until someone finds them.