The Gates | Film Review

 

Three friends on a road trip suddenly find themselves in danger when they witness a murder inside a gated community.

I was looking forward to this movie. I saw the trailer ages ago and thought it looked really interesting, but then it seemed to never come out until it was quietly released on digital, so it felt like it came out of nowhere.

There were definitely good and bad things about this film. I enjoyed it, but there were a lot of issues.

But it started well. We get right into things from the very beginning, and even though we can see what's going to happen a mile away, it's still fun to go on the journey with them.

The film is incredibly plot-driven, which makes sense when you get into it because the characters are all either bland of unlikeable. This does get better the more you watch, and the more time they're given to develop, but even thinking back on the film, I couldn't tell you a character's name or any distinct personality trait beyond the stereotypical 'good' and 'bad' characters.

The premise is great but not entirely realistic. It's not a bad thing to have to suspend your disbelief, but there were times when it was a bit much.

There were moments where the film was clearly trying to make statements about race, privilege, and class, but it was either too heavy-handed or not strong enough to feel meaningful.

At times, the characters have arguments and the filmmakers want us to feel the tension and disconnect between them, But because we don't know any of them well enough, and we don't know what their dynamics were like before the film took place, the arguments have virtually no impact.

Tension isn't built as well as it could have been, but when the film is tense, it's really tense! It hits us all at once rather than coming through gradually.

But because it is tense when it needs to be, it works. You're scared along with the characters, you're anticipating what will happen next, and even when it's predictable it's still exciting.

So overall I would recommend this film. It's fun and entertaining, even if it's not entirely realistic. Definitely one to watch with other people.

6.5/10