When I stumbled upon the 2023 horror/thriller "The Gates" here in 2024 and seeing that it had Richard Brake on the cast list, then there was no doubt about me sitting down to watch it.
Writers Tim Reynolds and Stephen Hall, with the latter also being the director of the movie, put together an enjoyable supernatural thriller with a good storyline. The storyline included the creation of the EVP (Electrical Voice Phenomena), which was a nice touch. It is an atmospheric thriller, where the writers gradually builds up the suspense and piles up elements of a supernatural dread.
Something that worked against the movie was the pacing of the narrative, because it was rather slow and bland at times, without much of anything thrilling or exciting happening, and that made sitting through 111 minutes of the movie somewhat of an ordeal at times. So either a more round-handed trim in the editing or a more spruced-up storyline would have served the movie well.
The acting performances in the movie were good from the entire cast ensemble, and with the likes of John Rhys-Davies and Richard Brake at the helm, then you're in capable hands. Richard Brake brought his usual devilish charm and sinister charisma, while John Rhys-Davies brought a level of class and Shakespearian atmosphere to the movie. Michael Yare (playing Lucian Abberton) and Elena Delia (playing Emma Wickes) definitely put on good performances as well.
The colors and lighting used throughout the course of the movie were definitely enhancing the atmosphere of the movie tremendously, making it seem and feel like a distinct 1890-period set movie. As did the wardrobe, sets and props department, I liked that level of dedication to making the movie feel authentic. It worked marvelously in favor of the overall feel of the movie.
While "The Gates" certainly is a watchable movie, I was expecting a bit more from a movie with Richard Brake and John Rhys-Davies. And I have to admit that this is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, because the storyline just doesn't have the contents to support more than a single viewing.
My rating of director Stephen Hall's 2023 movie "The Gates" lands on a five out of ten stars. It was as if the movie buckled in under its own ambition to deliver more than director Stephen Hall could muster.
