1/10
P*ss Poor
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.
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