June 24, 2018
Beyond the Gates had all the makings of a really fun 80's/90's retro themed movie: A VHS horror game. A buddy comedy. 1980s credit font and music. However, the movie spend way too long on the family dynamics between the three main characters and not enough time playing the actual game.
The movie is about two brothers who are reunited after their father dies and they find a game called VHS Board Game that claims if they win by collecting four keys they will save their father's soul. The game involves the involuntary and voluntary killing of people close to them.
The film is not without great moments. There is a scene where the brothers have to open up a voodoo doll to remove a key and as they do this their friend across town is ripped up with intestines flying into the air. Another great scene is when their cop friend comes chasing them with a shotgun and they have to pull a key out of a small clay head which causes the cop's head to explode. These scenes would make any fan of Peter Jackson's early films happy.
The big problem with the film is it takes almost an hour for them to play the game and when they do they keep wanting to stop playing. While this makes sense for the characters, it doesn't make for a particularly entertaining movie. Well acted, well shot, but ultimately a rather boring movie.
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