The Gate
Directed by Tibor TakácsTwo young boys accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the two kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that literally begins to take over the Earth.
- theicephoenixDecember 30, 2025Let me tell you something right now. The Gate is not a good movie. Not by today’s standards. Not by yesterday’s standards. Probably not even by 1987 standards. And yet, doggone it, I sat there the whole time thinking, “Well I’ll be dipped in barbecue sauce, I’m having fun.” This movie is what happens when someone says, “What if kids, demons, stop-motion monsters, and a heavy metal album all got locked in a basement together?” And instead of stopping that idea, Hollywood said, “Here’s a budget. Please don’t hurt anyone.” The acting? Lord help us. These kids scream like they just discovered chores. Every line delivery feels like it was written five minutes before lunch and read once out loud before filming. But here’s the thing, they commit. They really do. Nobody phones it in. They believe in these tiny demons like they’re filing taxes with them. Now the effects. Oh buddy. The effects look like someone melted a bunch of plastic army men and said, “That’s hell. Roll camera.” Stop-motion demons climbing out of cracks in the ground like they missed curfew. Are they scary? No. Are they charming in a “my uncle made this in his garage” kind of way? Absolutely. And Stephen Dorff. Baby Stephen Dorff. Looks like he wandered onto the wrong set on his way to a skateboard commercial. But he’s trying. He’s acting his little heart out while the house is collapsing around him like a haunted IKEA project. The story makes just enough sense to keep going. You open a hole to hell by accident. Happens all the time. Don’t act surprised. It’s basically a cautionary tale about why you don’t mess with mysterious construction sites, ancient books, or older siblings who listen to metal. Is it scary? Not really. Is it dumb? Oh yes. Is it fun? You bet your soul it is. This movie knows exactly what it is, even if it doesn’t always know what it’s doing. And that’s the charm. So no, this isn’t high art. This isn’t prestige horror. This is the cinematic equivalent of staying up too late on a school night, eating junk food, and watching something you know your parents would hate. And honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what you want. Three out of five stars. Bad movie. Good time. Now excuse me while I check my backyard for cracks to hell.
The Gate Trivia
The Gate was released on April 21, 1987.
The Gate was directed by Tibor Takács.
The Gate has a runtime of 85m.
The Gate was produced by John Kemeny.
Two young boys accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the two kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that literally begins to take over the Earth.
The key characters in The Gate are Glen (Stephen Dorff), Al (Christa Denton), Terrence "Terry" Chandler (Louis Tripp).
The Gate is rated PG-13.
The Gate is a Horror, Fantasy film.
The Gate has an audience rating of 4.6 out of 10.
The Gate had a budget of $2.5M.
The Gate has made $13.5M at the box office.