I had never heard about this 2016 Indonesian fantasy horror movie titled "Gerbang Neraka" (aka "Firegate") prior to stumbling upon it by random luck here in 2023. And with it being an Asian horror movie that I hadn't seen, of course I found the time to watch it.
Writer Robert Ronny put together a fair enough script and storyline for the movie. There were aspects to the storyline that were rather interesting, however, the overall outcome of the narrative was a somewhat bland and generic one. So Robert Ronny didn't exactly bedazzle us here, but the movie was watchable enough for what it turned out to be.
I was only familiar with Reza Rahadian on the cast list. But they had a good cast ensemble, despite it being a rather small cast ensemble. It should be noted that the acting performances in the movie were fair enough.
Visually then "Gerbang Neraka" was okay. I mean, it wasn't an impressive display of special effects or CGI. There were some effects and CGI throughout the course of the 113 minutes that the movie ran for, and it was adequate enough for what it turned out to be. Just don't get your hopes up for anything impressive.
Ultimately then "Gerbang Neraka" was too slow paced and generic in its narrative, and that made for a somewhat bland mundane and bland viewing experience. There was potential for something greater hidden in the script, of that I am sure, but director Rizal Mantovani just didn't utilize it.
For a horror movie then I have to say that "Gerbang Neraka" wasn't an outstanding or particularly memorable horror experience. The movie is watchable a single time, but doesn't have the contents to the script to support a second viewing.
My rating of "Gerbang Neraka" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
