- theicephoenix30 december 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.
Get Plex on Your Devices
Free on 20+ platforms. Pick yours.The Gate Trivia
The Gate was released on 21 april 1987.
The Gate was directed by Tibor Takács.
The Gate has a runtime of 85m.
The Gate was produced by John Kemeny.
Det är helg och Glen, Terry och Al har inget att göra. Föräldrarna är bortresta och de är lämnade ensamma i det stora huset. På tomten har ett stort träd tidigare fällts. De beslutar sig för att undersöka det enorma hål som uppstått. Men det är dumt. Djävligt dumt. Sedan urminnes tider har trädet dolt en ingång till ondskans hemvist. Nu är porten öppen och världen kan förvandlas till ett ännu större helvete än vad den redan är. De måste finna ett sätt att stänga porten innan ondskan släpps loss...om det inte redan är för sent!
The key characters in The Gate are Glen (Stephen Dorff), Al (Christa Denton), Terrence "Terry" Chandler (Louis Tripp).
The Gate is rated 15.
The Gate is a Skräck, Fantasy film.
The Gate has an audience rating of 4.6 out of 10.
The Gate had a budget of 2,5 mn US$.
The Gate has made 13,5 mn US$ at the box office.