Movie Review The Gates (2023)
Gate , 2023
Director: Stephen Hall.
With John Rhys-Davies, Richard Brake, Michael Year, Elena Delia, Christine Mulhern and David Pearce.
Summary:
A serial killer was executed in the electric chair in Victorian London, but that was just the beginning of the troubles at Bishopsgate Prison.
Richard Brake's movie poster-walking character has quickly become an icon of the horror genre, and when he plays a serial killer in a movie, you can be sure someone is going to get seriously hurt.
In this case, Breck plays William Colcott, a Victorian London serial killer who murders women using their bodies in a secret ritual to resurrect his dead wife. After his capture, Colcott became the first British prisoner to be executed by a new American machine called the electric chair. However, given the assassin's knowledge of the dark arts, things certainly didn't go smoothly.
It all happens in the first seven minutes of the movie, and it really is the best seven minutes in the movie, because Richard Brake becomes a complete horror icon in the tradition of Anthony Hopkins or Robert England, the setting is chewed up and generally terrifying. . . After the title card though, we move on to Frederick Ladbroke (John Rhys-Davies) and his niece Emma Weeks (Elena Delia), who are the autopsy photographers and guess whose body they were supposed to photograph.
After that, Emma noticed something unusual about Colcott's face, as if her ghost was looking at her. The photographers treat this as a double exposure and move on to their other business, while trying to sell their latest invention, the atmospheric device, a large mechanical box that can attract ghosts, to the paranormal society. Things don't go well, but that brings in investigator Lucian Aberton (Michael Year) and we eventually return to Bishopsgate Prison as Frederick, Emma, Lucian the warden, some inmates, some inmates and one's wife. All the guards were present when it became clear that William Colcott was not as dead as his body suggested. When the rest of the inmates start going insane and suicidal, all the investigators must work together, using all the technology and religious power at their disposal to defeat the evil killer once and for all.
The plot is certainly enticing on paper, and co-writer/director Stephen Hall convincingly manages to create an oppressive Victorian setting with some poignant moments (although the prison looks a bit cleaner and tidier). ...a delicious pre-credits sequence. As mentioned above, there are scenes that are truly terrifying, such as the cat and mouse chase between the priest and the captive prey, which make fantastic use of shadows and silhouettes. Where this goes is somewhat predictable, but the visuals manage to create just the right effect.
Those moments are rare though, as Stephen Hall can't decide if he wants to make a horror film filled with horror, shock and awe, or a deeper, more thoughtful process that explores ideas of religion versus technology. - Old vs Old New - and vice. Unfortunately, he mainly uses the latest production, while his films are influenced by the former; After all, why is Richard Brake and his trademark devilish grin all over your marketing if you don't show it?
Brake himself is great when he's on screen, which only makes up a few minutes of the 101-minute run, proving once again that he's worthy of leading his own horror franchise (despite a bit of singing at the end). . movie). The credits suggest it hasn't yet, but there's also a certain nightmare-based franchise in need of an iconic new face. Just say...). It's also nice to see John Rhys-Davies as the good-natured Frederick Ladbroke, a clear departure from Van Helsing, but without the more heroic elements, and the actor clearly enjoys what he has to do. As for the rest of the cast, the movie fell short of expectations as the supporting cast was quite dull and didn't bring much spark, while only Elena Delia brought a naive charm to the role of Emma.
With a few anachronisms here and there, too many vague secrets, and an ending that can only be described as underwhelming, The Gates is too inconsistent and certainly too long for the impact it should have on cast and plot. If Stephen Hall had been working on the procedure, we'd have the poster horror the movie delivers, as Richard Brake takes the self-righteous John Rhys-Davies into full monster mode for slick, gritty horror. Script. As many. More fun.
While The Gates tends towards more obvious or clichéd horror material, in a good way, it does it well and has some memorable and scary moments, but be prepared if you're expecting a Richard Brake-led gore-fest. Expectations are low for you. You can see both leads, but despite the pre-credits sequence and all the suggestion of a Shocker remake starring Richard Brake (oh, go figure), The Gates is a bit of a letdown.
The Flickering Myth Review - Movie: ★★ / Movie: ★★★
Chris Ward
