The Gates Review: Dark Night, Darker Secrets

Written and directed by John Burr, The Gates is a thriller that stars Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers, and notably James Van Der Beek, in his final film role. Centered around a group of three friends; Derek (Gooding), Kevin (Smith), and Tyon (Powers) whose planned night out takes a dark turn and becomes a fight for survival after a shortcut off the highway leads them into a closed off gated community. Witnessing a pastor named Jacob (Van Der Beek) murder a woman in his home, the pastor became their pursuer. Trapped inside the gated community, and hunted by residents who blame them, their bond would be put to the test as they are pushed to their limits trying to survive the night and escape in one piece. A bit of a mixed bag full of highs and lows, in spite of its flaws, the film delivers a decent watch.

In what feels like a throwback to survival thrillers from the 90’s, the film serves as an homage to a genre of yesteryear. Never boring, the building tension and suspense does a solid job at keeping audiences engaged in the happenings of the story. Setting the tone with a strong start, the film does not waste any time before dropping its characters in the thick of things. Set in a gated community, the setting offers up a nice change of pace that the film utilizes in an effective way, setting itself apart in an already crowded thriller genre. The best part of The Gates is its four central performances. Gooding, as the de facto lead, continues to prove how talented of an actor. While Powers is similarly strong, it is a small miracle how Smith emerges from the film completely unscathed in spite of the beyond frustrating nature of Kevin, and his incredibly dumb decisions throughout, only making things much worse for he and his friends. However, head and shoulders above the rest is Van Der Beek, who plays a much different role than what audiences are accustomed to seeing from the actor. As Jacob, he is incredibly menacing as he puts a sinister twist on his usual charm, making him all the more unsettling. Meanwhile, his scenes alongside Gooding’s Derek are among the highlights, watching them go toe-to-toe.

Unfortunately, the film peaks far too early with its opening act. From that point on, it quickly begins to spin its wheels and could never recover, becoming repetitive in the process. A complete drag, the story seemed unsure about where it wants to go, putting its characters in increasingly ridiculous scenarios that kill off all of the momentum created by the first act, before wrapping up in the safest and most predictable fashion possible. Boasting a story not quite suitable for a feature length film, the story feels stretched out in how little substance and character work it has to offer under the surface. Driven by questionable character decisions, the most guilty is the aforementioned Kevin, an obnoxious character with a knack for making the dumbest decisions possible. Someone that will have audiences screaming at the screen throughout, before an attempted third act redemption. Not doing nearly enough with its premise, the film misses plenty of opportunities to inject social commentary into the story, prioritizing thrills and action, a choice that may leave some disappointed.

The Gates is a decent thriller that will keep audiences engaged and entertained throughout but given its potential on paper; a great premise, thrilling first act, and a talented cast, it should have been a whole lot stronger than what it was. If anything, it is still worth watching just to see James Van Der Beek in his final film role, and a memorable one at that.

still courtesy of Lionsgate

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/