Devil's Gate is a new genre bending horror film. It's creative and unique, you'll start watching it and never in a million years guess where it's going, and it has a solid cast. So why doesn't the movie work?
Well, first, there's the script. It really needed more work. The basic story is that a woman (Bridget Regan of The Last Ship) and her young son have disappeared from their remote farm house. The investigation is going nowhere so a fed (Amanda Schull of 12 Monkeys the overrated TV show) is dispatched to investigate. She is partnered with a dim local cop (Shawn Ashmore of The Following) along the lines of Scream's Deputy Dewey. They begin their search and, despite strenuous objections from the local Sheriff (Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek The Next Generation), the look into the husband (Milo Ventimaglia of This Is Us). He's weird, he has a temper, their marriage was unhappy, his house looks like Leatherface should be hanging around in the attic, he has elaborate traps laid all around, and he has SOMETHING caged up in the basement. So you're probably thinking standard psycho story, right?
Wrong.
The movie has some pretty dramatic twists from there and, without giving away too much, develops a cosmic horror plot thread I actually really liked. Or, wanted to like anyway.
Devil's Gate throws so much at you that it never stops to develop any of its ideas. Or its characters. Another problem is that despite having a better than average cast, they're all playing one note stereotypes. The movie also has serious pacing problems and can't be bothered to fully develop any of its truly interesting ideas.
The films also really stretches its budget. While there are some fantastic practical effects, there are also some really lousy digital ones.
Devil's Gate it a frustrating movie that frankly should have been a lot better. The ideas are there, the cast is there, but the director and screenwriters just can't pull it all together.
My recommendation, watch The Void instead.
Well, first, there's the script. It really needed more work. The basic story is that a woman (Bridget Regan of The Last Ship) and her young son have disappeared from their remote farm house. The investigation is going nowhere so a fed (Amanda Schull of 12 Monkeys the overrated TV show) is dispatched to investigate. She is partnered with a dim local cop (Shawn Ashmore of The Following) along the lines of Scream's Deputy Dewey. They begin their search and, despite strenuous objections from the local Sheriff (Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek The Next Generation), the look into the husband (Milo Ventimaglia of This Is Us). He's weird, he has a temper, their marriage was unhappy, his house looks like Leatherface should be hanging around in the attic, he has elaborate traps laid all around, and he has SOMETHING caged up in the basement. So you're probably thinking standard psycho story, right?
Wrong.
The movie has some pretty dramatic twists from there and, without giving away too much, develops a cosmic horror plot thread I actually really liked. Or, wanted to like anyway.
Devil's Gate throws so much at you that it never stops to develop any of its ideas. Or its characters. Another problem is that despite having a better than average cast, they're all playing one note stereotypes. The movie also has serious pacing problems and can't be bothered to fully develop any of its truly interesting ideas.
The films also really stretches its budget. While there are some fantastic practical effects, there are also some really lousy digital ones.
Devil's Gate it a frustrating movie that frankly should have been a lot better. The ideas are there, the cast is there, but the director and screenwriters just can't pull it all together.
My recommendation, watch The Void instead.