Beyond the Gates (2016) User Reviews

Nice touches in an essentially fanboy horror project

[mungflesh · 6/10 · 1 September 2016]

It has the vibes of Hellraiser and some of Fulci's "Gates of Hell" trilogy, mixed with some obvious similarities to Jumanji (though purely owing to the subject matter) but with some nice comic touches, which allows the movie to get away with a few of its budgetary constraints.

Our central characters, Gordon, John and Margot, play a retro VHS board game and unlock a gateway to some dark netherworld, in an attempt to discover what happened to Gordon's missing father. Needless to say opening such portals can only lead to trouble!

Fortunately for us, trouble of the gruesome kind.

The film is very much an homage and tribute to many things from a previous generation of entertainment, such as the board game, the VHS rental store and some cool gore effects which nod to the era of the video nasty. This is its strongest element because the story and setting is a tad threadbare, without feeling amateurish.

Fans of the genre and such from-the-heart productions are bound to enjoy what this film has to offer as it nicely projects the infectious sense of fun and creativity that led its creators to make the film in the first place.

It's not going to change the world of horror as we know it but I bet it will inspire other startup movie-makers to make that movie they have in them.

Great premise, disappointing execution.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 10 December 2016]

Two estranged brothers, Gordon (Graham Skipper) and John (Chase Williamson), reunite to liquidate the assets of their missing father's video store. As they sort out the contents of the shop, the brothers discover a strange old VHS board game—Beyond the Gates—that seems to have some connection with their dad's disappearance. Together with Gordon's girlfriend Margot (Brea Grant), they pop the game's tape into the player and are greeted by a mysterious woman (scream queen Barbara Crampton) who guides them through the horror that ensues.

Take the basic premise of Jumanji and give it a horror twist, and what you have is Beyond the Gates, except that Jumanji was, and still is, a whole lot of fun (despite some horribly dated CGI effects), whereas Beyond the Gates is a crushing bore for most of its running time, with long periods where absolutely nothing of interest occurs (the first 45 minutes are a real test of patience). About the only things the film has in its favour are a few decent gore effects (best being an exploding cranium), a cool synth score, and Grant's impressive rack (the actress wears a tight vest but fails to do a Crampton, keeping those puppies under wraps).

Far from perfect, but a lot of fun!

[anthonydlutz · 6/10 · 30 January 2017]

Horror movies are my favorite movies. My wife gets tired of me suggesting them. So it had been a week or so and we decided to give Beyond the Gates a spin.

I understand some of the negative reviews. The pace of the first half is a little slow, but the character development and plot are still interesting enough. The acting can be wooden at times, sure. The 80's feel to modern day is somewhat puzzling, but since it's all about a video store, forgivable.

The two requirements I have for horror movies is that they have to at least be a little scary and they have to be fun. This movie succeeds at both.

The actress who plays the host for Beyond the Gates knocks it out of the park. Her performance is one I won't soon forget - creepy and diabolical.

The overall feel of the movie reminded both my wife and I of the recent Creepy Pasta adaptation Channel Zero: Candle Cove which was just about the same level of scary and fun.

Give this one a go, it's worth a watch for sure.

P*ss Poor

[Dandy_Desmond · 1/10 · 22 December 2016]

There's a trend doing the rounds. It seems the 80s are back.

Not a bad thing in the right hands. For example The Guest was a very good attempt at a modern film with a retro twist. I also enjoyed Stranger Things and It Follows.

Unfortunately you then get the attempts that don't pull it off. Beyond the Gates falls into this category.

You can't stick a synth soundtrack, a story involving a VHS tape and a vaguely retro intro into a film and assume it gives it style. Some retro junkies will eat it up. I didn't.

I would describe it as a slow burner of a horror film. I like to get to know the characters, get into the story and wait for the punch. Unfortunately the characters in Beyond the Gates are boring, nothing really happens for a long time and the characters and story are not interesting enough to keep your attention.

Someone mentioned this was like a Fulci film. The mind boggles. It really isn't, its style reminded me more of Napoleon Dynamite with a dash of gore thrown in here and there to perhaps wake the audience up.

I love Barbara Crampton too, but not blindly enough to recommend this film.

Beyond the Gates ... and into the Time-Capsule!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 2 July 2020]

If you love horror, you must love the eighties. That's almost a given thing. Have you noticed how, recently, homages and references towards 80s horror aren't just used as a gimmick anymore? 80s throwback horror has now even become an entire sub genre on itself! The successful show "Stranger Things", and the remake of Stephen King's "It", are undoubtedly the most famous examples, but there are many other equally enjoyable but slightly more obscure titles as well, like "Summer of 84", "You might be the Killer" and "The Final Girls". "Beyond the Gates" also qualifies in this category, with a good old-fashioned video store setting, a phenomenally catchy synthesizer soundtrack and an authentic contemporary scream-queen in the shape of the wondrous Barbara Crampton.

The plot can shortly, simply and aptly be described as an amalgam between "Jumanji" and "Hellraiser". Two estranged brothers gather in the abandoned video store of their missing father, and in the back room they stumble upon an interactive VHS + board game called "Beyond the Gates". The game's hostess, the still-ravishing Mrs. Crampton, addresses herself directly to the brothers via the screen, and they soon realize that playing the game will lead to solving the mystery of their father's disappearance. But, at what cost?

I can safely say that I like "Beyond the Gates" a lot more than most people. I really dug the moody and borderline melancholic atmosphere, and the unknown (to me, at least) actress Bea Grant is terrific as the oldest brother's girlfriend. Admittedly, the film is heavily flawed. The pacing is incredibly slow, and particularly the first three quarters are very uneventful. Apart from the three main characters, and Barbara on TV, there are also very few supportive characters, so it's not too difficult to foretell who dies and who survives. But hey, the body count may be low, but at least they die spectacularly and quite gruesomely! Most of all, though, check out the soundtrack! Me, I left the DVD-menu playing for an additional two hours, just I could hear that great tune in the background.

Was hoping for more

[adrianantonyfoley · 3/10 · 17 January 2017]

The film for me was really slow I was hoping for a horror type jumanji type board game and I just found the acting and story really lame. Halfway through I just stopped watching although it was on in the background. It maybe worth a watch for some But prepare for disappointment. The fist part starts out quite promising I love the old VHS stores and tenses me of being a kid myself, the creepy keyboard 80s style music was good and the images on google for the movie have a definite 80s vibe and i think that's what got me excited. With the lady from Heroes in the movie I expected it to be quite good with her being from a top show but found her to be really bland and boring . Could have been a good movie as the idea of a horror board game is one that excites me however the writers didn't do it justice nor did the actors in my opinion .

Nostalgic and Entertaining

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 28 December 2016]

Gordon (Graham Skipper) returns to his hometown with his girlfriend Margot (Brea Grant) to meet his estranged brother John (Chase Williamson) to close the video store of their missing father and pack the videotapes and the DVDs. John finds the key of the office that is closed and decides to snoop around with Gordon. They find the VCR board game "Beyond the Game" and they decide to play with Margot. Soon they learn that the game must be played until the very end; otherwise they will die.

"Beyond the Gates" is a nostalgic and entertaining movie that follows the style of many films from the 80's and 90's (specially "Jumanji"). The story is flawed and, for example, Derek dies without any further consequences. But fans of the genre will not be disappointed. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Just not good

[Leethal1 · 1/10 · 10 December 2016]

I am not angry, I am not disappointed. I am completely numb. That was slow and very tedious, complete with uninteresting and unlikable characters, Slow plot, just a plain boring story. I felt lethargic just watching it. I kept getting pulled away from it and hoping something would happen to bring me back... I usually love horror and adventure and low budget horror too. Apart from a couple of good effects moments, this movie was un-engaging, lacking any emotion or even humor (if they were trying to go the comedic route). It was the movie version of the character Eeyore...slow and sluggish Unimpressed... not recommended if you want something immersive or engaging. Boring, Pointless, Time waster...but that's just my opinion.

VHS + Synth + Jumanji = Good effort

[Condemned-Soul · 6/10 · 9 June 2020]

Retro horror 'Beyond the Gates' continues the fun trend of 80's throwbacks with just about everything you'd expect: synth score, neon-heavy visuals, and practical gore effects.

It's about two brothers who find a VHS board game in their missing father's video store. When played, the real world and a nightmarish dimension collide, forcing the brothers to complete some blood-spattered objectives in order to free their father's soul trapped in the game.

Unfortunately, as awesome as that premise sounds, the board game isn't as well utilised as it could have been; nor are it's concepts explored thoroughly or explained. The film also features typically implausible horror movie behaviour as the game supernaturally alters to fit the players' lives and otherworldly things just happen to push the story onwards.

But despite that shortcoming, this is still an enjoyable homage to 80's gorefests, with enough character development to forgive the plot's slow and teasing unfurling, some delightfully grisly violence, and a cracking score that bolsters its aesthetic.

6/10

Beyond the Gates of Garbage

[yooka-00242 · 1/10 · 18 May 2017]

I can't be the only person that could not even sit through this garbage. The worst horror movie of 2017 IMO. I can't even name something I liked about it. Sure, Barbara Crampton is in it, but she must be slumming it. Her role was so dumb it's unbelievable. I am sure she did her best but the quality wasn't there.

The plot seemed cool but it was not done well, the actors don't seem to believe in their own dialogue, and the effects were beyond cheap. Maybe when other reviews say its fun and funny they mean because they think it's so bad it's good? Or maybe it's just got some good ratings from family and friends? I don't know but the good ratings convinced me to watch it and now I know they either confused this with a another movie or it was paid reviews. I don't trust IMDb anymore and I miss the message boards where you could find out more about a movie and more accurate reviews.

I got a group of friends together to watch this.Not one of the 6 of us liked it. Dare I say it, we detested it. We shut it off. I saw one review say it was a slow burn. I wish I could burn it.

Really enjoyed this.

[svartrhand · 10/10 · 1 September 2017]

There is some very obvious Jumanji vibes going on along with a fun throwback to the 80's VHS games that where popular at the time.

I do see people giving this bad reviews because they were expecting it to be more on the scale of Jumanji. Jumanji was made for $50,000,000 of 90's money. This was made for roughly 300,000 in today's.

For the budget this is a fantastic movie. All the actors were good. I enjoyed having characters that didn't resort to stupid decisions, hysteria or infighting as some dumb writers attempt to make his lame characters more 'dramatic'.

Some nice tension building accented by an excellent moody soundtrack.

Lot of good practical effects.

One of the best low budget horror films I've seen this year.

Nostalgia for certain people

[knifebat · 20 August 2017]

I play board games about once a week. I have and enjoy the VHS board game Nightmare and the revamped VHS board game Atmosfear. I also like low budget horror films and independent films, so this movie is pretty much right up my alley.

If you like Tom Hanks's early movie Mazes and Monsters then chances are you might like this one too.

Cult horror film actress Barbara Crampton steals the show she did a really phenomenal job in this.

Another fascinating character was Elric at the strange goth store.

Some people have accused the characters as boring or unlikable, the rest of the characters are not scripted badly in my opinion, but since the film is slow paced, it definitely would have helped to make them more likable, especially the two brothers.

I didn't like that their cop friend was killed, but I cheered when the younger brothers loser friend got killed.

I definitely would have liked to see more of the board game interact with them. I wasn't quite sure that once the gate was active, what were the parameters of this thing. I'm not sure if they should have had the screen tinted the entire time, or they should have limited the players only to the house, or perhaps wandering in the gate world.

Either way, it's a unique movie, a unique viewing experience about things that I like, so I really enjoyed it, even though there was a lot of character development that I didn't care too much about.

A retro-cool blast from the day-glo 1980s past that tries to put a fresh spin on old-school terror.

[mwilson1976 · 6/10 · 22 June 2020]

Anyone old enough to feel nostalgic for the era of VHS board games should get a kick out of "Beyond the Gates," a retro-cool blast from the day-glo 1980s past, that zaps viewers back to a time when VHS ruled, video stores were meccas for horror fans, and shocks came with a healthy dose of schlock. It's an entertaining and mildly spooky B-movie version of Jumanji and Tron that is full of affection for the kinds of movies that inspired it, and concerns two estranged brothers (Graham Skipper and Chase Williamson) who in the wake of their father's mysterious disappearance, reunite to sift through the contents of his VHS rental store. When they find an interactive board game which their father viewed just before he vanished, they realise it's a portal to a nightmarish alternate reality. Cult horror icon Barbara Crampton plays the hostess of the VHS tape that accompanies the board game, and is easily one of the most enjoyable aspects of the film even though she's given little to do except stare out of a staticky TV. Premiering at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival where it won the audience award in the festival's midnight section, this is a movie bursting with eye-popping practical effects, an unsettling synth score, and wicked black humour that tries to put a fresh spin on old-school terror.

one big mess ... kinda

[sjarja · 4/10 · 10 December 2016]

To get it out of the way - i rated the movie a 4/10 for being pretty forgettable.

But that does not mean i do not appreciate some things it tried to do. It does however fall with its totally and utterly ridiculous story; a story that is so silly that it most probably is intentional. In short - the story feels like one of those cheap books that tells you to keep on reading on a certain page once you made a decision or like an amateurish table-top-rpg - all along with actors that both underact and overact. (kind of like many roleplayers i feel) Then there are the character archetypes that are so flat and one dimensional... they do not have a sliver of personality about them; and of course a story that lacks any logic.

Once you get that out of the way - you can start to appreciate some neat details though. There is a certain 90s vibe going on, which is dismissed by the rather modern still shots in many scenes. There is some 90s colouring and scenes - and then again more modern ones.

There is what feels like a certain homage to Lynch movies (curio shop owner and camera works in that shop) and some raw, low budget slasher core movies.

The tone of the movie itself is almost somber with extreme gore sprinkled in (that mostly looks deliciously fake) The dialogue consists of meaningless one liners for the most part - and the actors hardly act scene-appropriate.

But the movie actually was kind of funny to watch - utterly forgettable but fun - in all its cheesiness. And sometimes one wants to watch some cheese i guess.

However - i cannot recommend it. Maybe as part of a horror video night with friends (and alcohol...) There are "gems" in the movie that certain people may love and appreciate though. It has a very narrow target audience. (i am not it) But if you are - you may well very much enjoy it.

Tediously Dreadful

[tom-ballard12 · 1/10 · 2 January 2018]

I regret watching this, there are no redeeming features, it's just awful. Bad acting, bad writing, bad camera work, bad bad bad. The store keeper's acting is so bad that he shouldn't be allowed to do community theatre.

Lame homage to Videodrome

[PeterRoeder · 6/10 · 3 March 2018]

Dont get me wrong I like this movie. However, I am a fan of weird fiction and weird fiction is supposed to be WEIRD. The weird scenes in this movie are indeed good. However, the non-weird story-line sort of ruins it all. So I am not going to give any spoilers in this review but let me just say this movie seems like a kind of revenge towards my generation (I was born in 1976). So it seems to sort of say "Yeah the 80s and 90s were sort of cool but you know they were weirdoes (in a bad way)." So if this movie had been boiled down to 10 minutes of just the horror footage it would have been awesome but the movie is just trying to be way too normal and stupid for it to be a good horror movie.

Slow dialogue and build up

[quothage · 4/10 · 10 December 2016]

Overall a not unwatchable effort, a story line with certain potential is littered with some enjoyable blood-fest elements. Unfortunately Beyond the Gates is marred by slow paced dialogue, between one dimensional characters, who all clunkily perform their way to the end. The issue here is that before anything begins to get going, you're likely to be half out of your mind with boredom. The 88 minute run time, which was reduced to about 80 after the exclusion of the opening and closing credits, still felt drawn out.

When things did get going, Beyond the Gates takes some particularly odd turns to create none too convincing or all that scary "monsters". In retrospect the film could well have borrowed more themes from greats such as Hellraiser and utilized them to bolster its own version of hell (assuming that's what the movie was trying to get at).

This may well appeal to die hard horror fans, but you're likely to be disappointed.

Solid 1980s Throwback

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 29 September 2017]

Two estranged brothers reunite at their missing father's video store and find a VCR board game dubbed 'Beyond The Gates' that holds a connection to their father's disappearance.

The deciding factor on whether you love or hate this film is whether you love or hate 1980s throwbacks. This film nails it, from the font in the opening credits to the music and beyond. Including Barbara Crampton prominently and name-dropping Charlie Band only adds to the effect.

If you think the 1980s throwback trend has run its course, you may not be as amused. But, you would also be wrong, because this trend can continue indefinitely so far as I'm concerned. There was no better decade for movies, and to see it come back has been a treat.

Terrible, Awful, Not Fun

[yoohoox · 1/10 · 12 May 2017]

Had promise but failed in a way that made me want to crush a baby. I grew up in the 80s, this was a terrible homage to those films. The acting was terrible, the story line was thin, and the dialogue was inane. It's funny that reviews go to one extreme or the other. This is not a love it or hate it movie. It's so bland you will feel like beating your head against a wall.

Uneven effort but still fun

[rhoddy-26823 · 7/10 · 15 July 2017]

The movie gets a lot of hate for acting and plot but I thought it was alright for a low budget film. The effects were impressive considering what they did. OK SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!

People complained the game didn't make sense and stuff just happens randomly. This is somewhat true with the rolling of the dice being a good example. But here's a theory: The four keys retrieved 1: guts (death) 2: mind (death) 3: soul (lives) 4: heart (redeemed but dead). Also the keys themselves can be interpereted as change (common in dream interpretation). Change their outlook on the above four areas of their lives. When the actors win the game the woman says to invest in the attention of the living, not the dead. Which was kind of a wah wah moment for me. Up until then that woman was creeping me the heck out. Then there are the instances of creepy shadows appearing just for jump scares. One outside the house and another in a room that disappear and have no other reason to be in the film. The runes I have to translate. There is a portrait behind the couch that is in a lot of shots with runes and then some on the table with the gameboard. I will rewatch to get a better look at them. There may be a pagan connection. The only actor that I thought overdid it was the curio shop owner. The camp was turned up to 9000. Overall, if your expecting some great, low budget horror find this isn't it. It is a bit too slow in the beginning, but overall I enjoyed it.

Beyond any taste

[kosmasp · 2/10 · 20 May 2017]

Now considering the fairly high rating some may argue I'm too harsh here. Which will come of as a surprise to a lot of people who have blamed me for the opposite thing. But while I can see a bit of charme here (old video store, some nerds, a couple of nice gimmicks), the movie is just plain bad. And not in a good sense either.

Let's pretend you don't mind the simple nature of film quality (and I am putting it mildly here, and I also want to note that I didn't care about that, I guess you get used to it slowly if you don't fixate too much on it)! Let's also pretend the awful overacting is neither bothering you and you either like it or think it's so bad it's funny. You may roll your eyes on the cliché of a story, but also just go: Whatever, it's a Horror movie. If you succeeded to avoid experiencing any pain while watching, then congratulations. But I can not recommend this under any circumstances. Especially when there are way better movies for you to spend your time and money on

Fantastic Throwback with a great Aesthetic

[whittakerben · 8/10 · 3 March 2017]

I saw this film at Frightfest 2016 in London and had to buy the DVD as soon as It was released. As a massive fan of 80s horror films this one hits all the right notes. Barbara Crampton (Re- Animator, You're Next etc) is brilliant as the otherworldly beauty in the VHS board game and the rest of the cast do an amazing job with the great script. There are a few things the film could have done better but it's so rare to see such a fun and entertaining horror these days that just wants to tell a good story. Any child of 80s cinema should pick this one up and will have a blast watching it!

Do you like board games?

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 28 August 2017]

Two brothers are clearing out a VHS store owned by their missing father (Henry LeBlanc). They come across a board/VHS game called "Beyond the Gates" apparently the last thing played by their missing father. John (Chase Williamson), Gordon (Graham Skipper) and girlfriend Margo (Brea Grant) start to play the game and discover that they can't opt out. Once started it is completion or death. It is specialized for them...and characters introduced in the first part of the film.

It did remind me of a low budget Jumanji and a larger budget could have improved the ghoul aspect and things beyond the gate. The game is played over several days which lowered any intensity it tries to build with interruptions.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Not even Barbara Crampton could lift up this sinking wreck...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 9 June 2018]

I must admit that I was initially lured to this movie because of Barbara Crampton. Especially since she was in some of my older favorite Lovecraftian movie adaptations, such as "Reanimator", "From Beyond" and "Castle Freak".

I decided to sit down to watch "Beyond the Gates", despite the fact that the synopsis didn't really sell the movie in a convincing manner. Perhaps I should have trusted that gut feeling and not actually followed up on watching it? Because this was a very mundane and less than thrilling horror movie. In fact, the only thing scary in the movie was the fact that there was nothing scary at all to be witnessed here.

The acting in the movie was adequate, although it was clear that the performers were struggling with the limitations of the generic script.

The special effects were adequate, but bear in mind that the movie is not using them in an abundance. So don't expect to be blown away by an array of visual impressions.

The characters in "Beyond the Gates" were one-dimensional and left very little for the actors and actresses performing them to work with.

I managed to stick with "Beyond the Gates" to the very end, but it was a very anti-climatic ending to the entire story.

This movie is most definitely not a movie that I will be pulling out to watch a second time.

This Game Sucks And Makes No Damn Sense

[nmn34 · 3/10 · 12 May 2017]

Now this movie would like to make you think that nobody has beaten this game because it is so dangerous. They say that it is always returned to the store and the buyer is never heard from again. That is a lie as accurate as CNN presidential polls. The true reason nobody beats this game is that the rules are arbitrary crap and none of it makes any Goddamn sense. This game is as simple as the average Buzzfeed writer yet as complex as high school algebra.

I have to get this out of the way, a big part of what makes this movie incredibly stupid is that they had to choose a VHS board game. Had they upgraded to DVD, the gamed would not be as laughably stupid and the reason for this is the host of the game's incredibly long wait for the players to take their turns. It took them 24 hours to make the fist move. The host in the mean time is cut to as she waits for them, silently watching and dare I say, getting a little bored and fidgeting around. Had this been a DVD they could have theoretically called it a loop as it awaited a command but as it is, it would be real time video. And even after they do make a move, half the time she doesn't respond until 3:13 the following morning. She's just there,kind of looking around for something to occupy her mind. Now of course, this is supposed to be a magical tape, one that can't be seen by non-players and interacts with them a little but for most of the movie she is just there not doing anything. Its a waste of the evil guide and borders on being farcical. Then post credits, it just dives across that line when she pops up once more, supposedly to be threatening but just once again looking around like she has no clue what she is doing. That was the best part of the movie, I couldn't stop laughing at it.

There are no rules to this game either. Take for instance Jumanji, a kids movie but still a great example of the magic board game concept. The rules are simple, you roll the dice, the game moves on a set path, you get an effect activated. That effect is seen in the real world and in how the game is played. Here, there is no semblance of organization in how the game is played. The first brother is instructed to roll the die, the host points out he got snake eyes, dice never play a roll in the game again. They are instructed to flip one of four cards and proceed to flip all of them without any repercussion. They are instructed they need four keys to beat the game and open the gate to the next world. They open it with three. Does Satan not have play testers? Does no one in Hell know anything about game design? There isn't even rhyme or reason in the effects. The host just pulls out what they have to do out of her butt and three times out of four it involves kill somebody. She even targets one of the people playing the game, what happens if its her turn after that? And there are six places on the board, why do they only move through three of them?

There is no semblance of urgency to any of the hosts commands. She says that if they fail to complete them that their souls will be lost to the game, but they have forever to do anything. It literally takes days to play this game because it takes forever for all her commands to take effect. Hell, when the cop is driven mad by the key in his head, they quit playing and went back to packing up their dad's defunct old tape rental store. They could have probably gotten married, raised children, and become grandparents before the game started to actually do anything to them. There are demons running around but really, they are pretty inconsequential. The only reason they actually keep playing the game is because the one brother wants to find their lost abusive father but this takes up exactly one line of dialogue.

The heroes are pretty sub par. The main one has a girlfriend and abstains from alcohol after hurting her in a fight once and the other has nowhere to live. This is all kind of dumped on the audience and doesn't have any real impact on the story. The girlfriend is a sleep walker. This too comes up once and is then shortly forgotten. Nothing about them seems to matter. Nothing matters. This movie is a mess of apathy and meandering. The acting isn't atrocious except for the store clerk that thinks he's John Waters, that is the only positive thing I can say.