The Gates, 2026.
Written and Directed by John Burr.
Starring Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers, James Van Der Beek, Sofia Hublitz, Kylr Coffman, Elle Evans, and Brad Leland.
SYNOPSIS:
Three friends’ road trip turns terrifying when they witness a murder in a gated community. Trapped inside, hunted by residents who blame them, their bond fractures as a charismatic yet sinister patriarch closes in.
A small but nonetheless worrisome amount of concern settled in within minutes of writer/director John Burr’s The Gates as it portrayed the three Black friends at the center of the narrative as what is beginning to feel like an all too common one-dimensional trope of painting them as either 100% anti-establishment with full on cynicism or 100% overt gullibility in that playing a part and following the rules, especially when confronted by law enforcement, will ensure that social and criminal justice prevails. Even among such hot-button issues as these, one would like to presume that the thoughts from real-life Black Americans are more nuanced than that.
With that said, it is a pleasant surprise that once aspiring lawyer Derek (Mason Gooding), injury-riddled and controversial college football athlete Tyon (Keith Powers), and party-happy Kevin (Algee Smith) take ill advised road trip tour into a predominantly white gated community and witness a murder committed by preacher Jacob (recently deceased great James Van Der Beek, so slimy, charmingly deceptive, and manipulative here) that puts the three friends (who, between Derek and Kevin, had already been arguing their beliefs in the car) at a crossroads on whether to call the cops and give a statement or find the exit code from someone to leave the neighborhood and be on their way, the taut thriller also spends considerable time fleshing out their differences (all three men deliver effective turns, notably during these heated exchanges).
What helps sell these differences and the inevitable complete rift between them (each character practically goes their separate way during the middle stretch) is a sharp, insightful juxtaposition of these white people and why they blindly follow someone like Jacob. Is it infuriating that another local resident, Christopher (Brad Leland), is quick to side with Jacob when, in theory, it should be clear as day to anyone that these three men are innocently caught up in something tragic? Well, yes, in the same way, it’s frustrating that if you log on to any social media platform, you can still find users sticking their heads in the sand about quite literally anything horrific the current administration is being alleged to have participated in. The Gates is not a both-sides film looking to absolve willfully ignorant white people, but it does organically show how they fall under the spell of religious grifters hiding under the Bible and godliness to deceive the average person not only into a follower, but certainty that they can do no wrong from such a powerful position.
Following an incident and an escape there, Derek chooses to collaborate with one of the gated community’s local officers, Bobby (Kylr Coffman), while Tyon and Kevin end up at an all-white college rager caught up in separate subplots while searching for that exit code. For the most part, Tyon is looking to avoid getting in legal trouble again so he can maintain what little of his image remains and go pro in football. As for Kevin, he strikes up an unlikely connection with some white wannabe rappers who think they can better market their music’s authenticity by having him lay down a track with them. There is also a brief encounter with what appears to be the lone Black woman in this neighborhood, who has inherited a generational home and has feelings of her own about this community that only further complicate the dynamic.
The friendships between the three continue to alter and divide with more specificity, transcending the earlier fear that these characters are mere clichés. One gradually gets a sense of their stances and why they make certain choices. Mason Gooding, in particular, accurately portrays the dopey naivety thinking that these cops will take his side over the spell that Jacob has on this community. Nevertheless, all roads lead to a violent, intense Mexican standoff (what would have been a perfect finale if not for the unnecessary sequence following it). Parts of the culmination feel slightly pro-cop, but perhaps a more balanced read is the sheer amount of roadblocks in the way of Black Americans earning the benefit of the doubt from one officer.
Not without some appropriate humor directed at white prejudices, The Gates opens up a solid action thriller that respects all its relevant, levelheaded characters. Admittedly, the plotting is familiar, but such multidimensionality gives the action more punch. Seeing each of their beliefs and perspectives as valid and sometimes changing in real time is part of what intensifies it.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
