Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- eerie
- playful
- late night horror viewing
- retro movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly enjoyed the film's nostalgic VHS-era horror atmosphere and playful genre affection, while finding its acting, pacing, and execution uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The brothers discover a VCR board game whose play is tied to their father's disappearance and deadly consequences.
The video store, VCR game, videotapes, and explicit 1980s horror influences create a retro-cult framework.
Gordon and John reunite after their father's disappearance while forced to confront their damaged relationship.
Critics repeatedly describe the film as a fun, cheesy, direct-to-VHS-style indie horror experience.
Films like Beyond the Gates, and why
The Gate
retro occult horror, sibling tension, and playful low-budget genre sensibility
Re-Animator
stylized body horror, VHS-era cult aesthetics, and irreverent supernatural menace
From Beyond
retro supernatural horror with practical effects and a light, campy atmosphere
The Final Girls
character-driven horror-comedy with nostalgic genre references and dysfunctional relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Jackson Stewart
- Release Date
- 2016-12-09
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (196)
Cast
- Graham Skipper
- Chase Williamson
- Barbara Crampton
- Brea Grant
- Justin Welborn
- Sara Malakul Lane
- Matt Mercer
- Caryn Richman
- Jesse Merlin
- Henry LeBlanc
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Beyond the Gates about?
- Estranged brothers uncover a cursed VCR board game that turns their missing father's video store into a retro nightmare.
- What is Beyond the Gates like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beyond the Gates as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Beyond the Gates violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Beyond the Gates as graphic.
- What did critics think of Beyond the Gates?
- Critics broadly enjoyed the film's nostalgic VHS-era horror atmosphere and playful genre affection, while finding its acting, pacing, and execution uneven.
- Which films are like Beyond the Gates?
- Films with a similar feel include The Gate, Re-Animator, From Beyond, and The Final Girls.
- How long is Beyond the Gates?
- Beyond the Gates runs 84 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beyond the Gates?
- In United States, Beyond the Gates streams on AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+.
