Beyond the Gates

Name: Beyond the Gates
Genre: Adventure, Horror
Released: December 9, 2016
Duration: 84 min
Rating: 59

2016

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Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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Beyond The Gates

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Midnight | Release Date: December 9, 2016 | Not Rated

Summary: In the wake of their father’s mysterious disappearance, two estranged brothers—responsible Gordon (Graham Skipper) and reckless John (Chase Williamson)—reunite to sift through the contents of his stubbornly anachronistic VHS rental store. Among the inventory, they discover an interactive VCR board game, which their father viewed just beforeIn the wake of their father’s mysterious disappearance, two estranged brothers—responsible Gordon (Graham Skipper) and reckless John (Chase Williamson)—reunite to sift through the contents of his stubbornly anachronistic VHS rental store. Among the inventory, they discover an interactive VCR board game, which their father viewed just before he vanished. Intrigued, the boys pop in the tape, press play, and soon discover that, far from an ordinary game, the video is a portal to a nightmarish alternate reality overseen by a sinister hostess (Barbara Crampton) and that in order to save their father’s soul, they must play by her rules. [IFC MIdnight]… Expand

Director: Jackson Stewart

Genre(s): Adventure, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 84 min

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Critic Reviews

Katie Rife

Dec 8, 2016

It’s not intensely scary, but it is faithful to its ’80s influences, right on down to the deadbeat dad. Read full review

Matt Donato

Dec 8, 2016

Beyond The Games plays to the nostalgia crowd instead of adopting 21st century scares, but still finds a way to explore untapped VHS potential. Read full review

Noel Murray

Dec 8, 2016

Beyond the Gates is more imaginative than frightening, and Stewart and co-writer Stephen Scarlata take too long to get to the good parts, killing time with long dialogue scenes where the characters pause interminably between lines. Read full review

Justin Lowe

Dec 8, 2016

Supernatural shenanigans and amateur sleuthing add up to mild-mannered entertainment in Jackson Stewart’s affectionately quirky directorial debut. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Dec 8, 2016

This fun if unmemorable occult thriller sports — all too faithfully at times — both the typical pleasures and shortcomings of the movies it pays homage to. Read full review

Neil Genzlinger

Dec 8, 2016

Getting retro right is harder than it seems. Read full review

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User Reviews

DirigiblePulp

Dec 5, 2017

Beyond the Gates is very uninspired. It wants to be a piece of 80's kitsch, capturing the director’s childhood or whatever and that's so in vogue right now. The titular board game doesn't provide any imaginative elements to the film, it's mostly a macguffin for things to happen at random inBeyond the Gates is very uninspired. It wants to be a piece of 80's kitsch, capturing the director’s childhood or whatever and that's so in vogue right now. The titular board game doesn't provide any imaginative elements to the film, it's mostly a macguffin for things to happen at random in order to propel things along and capture a certain air of time gone by. Nothing fun, unique or imaginative comes of the board game's challenges and they don’t really "play" the game in the traditional sense. The whole thing is lackluster.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

imthenoob

Aug 8, 2019

It took about half of the movie for them to finally open the game to play it and a big reason for that, I feel, is that the special effects in the second half obviously took up a bulk of the budget. So to get around that, They wasted half of the runtime on "character building" before weIt took about half of the movie for them to finally open the game to play it and a big reason for that, I feel, is that the special effects in the second half obviously took up a bulk of the budget. So to get around that, They wasted half of the runtime on "character building" before we finally get into the thick of it and by that time I was utterly bored with the movie.

The acting is very amateurish. The plot fails to take advantage of the premise and the characters are almost painfully shallow and stereotypical. Not to mention the special effects leave a lot to be desired because they're so low budget. And it certainly didn't help that the game was just a painfully straightforward point A to point B game with no challenges or twists. It ruined any potential suspense in the second half and that was a big disappointment for me.

I think with a proper budget, a better cast and more focus on the game itself would have made for a much better movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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