The Gates

Play trailer

2:07

The Gates

R

Mar 2026

1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

The Gates follows three college students -- Derek, Kevin, and Tyon (Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers) on a road trip gone wrong, as the three young men take an ill-advised shortcut through a remote gated community, where they find themselves trapped behind the walls after witnessing a murder. Over the course of the night, they find themselves blamed, hunted, and fractured by their own differing belief systems, while the perpetrator--James Van Der Beek, at his most charming and terrifying--emerges as the cunning patriarch that holds the entire community under his influence.

Bob Strauss

San Francisco Chronicle

1h

2.5/4

“The Gates” benefits from simple, straightforward plotting and understated social commentary that’s as effective as shouted outrage.

Go to Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

4h

2/4

Van Der Beek keeps the film interesting and guarded, even when it tries so hard to blurt out its every theme and lesson. So while "The Gates" itself isn’t a total smash, it’s a more than sturdy final effort from a beloved actor.

Go to Full Review

Cary Darling

Houston Chronicle

19h

3.5/5

"The Gates," which admittedly has a stronger first half than second half and has one plot hole that you could plow an F150 through, lives up to both its promise and Van Der Beek's legacy.

Go to Full Review

Joseph Robinson

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

4h

2.5/5

An intriguing premise and flashes of real tension keep The Gates watchable, but it ultimately fumbles the ball with a series of baffling choices.

Go to Full Review

Mark Dujsik

Mark Reviews Movies

5h

2.5/4

[Writer/director John] Burr almost seems to go out of his way to drop or, at least, soften its early depiction of prejudice by the end of this story.

Go to Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

MaitlandOnMovies (Substack)

17h

Given the America of the last several years, the fact that not one of our heroes is blown away within minutes [in this gun-filled, stand-your-ground gated community] strikes me as a filmmaker’s failure of nerve.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Darrell C

@RT47405157 1h

A thrill ride, with strong standout performances.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 4h

Successful mystery movie in 1 hour and 38 minutes.

See more

Teddy C.

@teddychelios 7h

Suspense with some fun quips to keep the tension from boiling over. Fun Easter eggs if you are from DFW. Van Der Beek owned the screen when he was on. RIP

See more

Andy C

@HaYouGay 12h

The writing in this movie made my dih tingle.

See more

Crocodile C

@SpendChristmasWithEpstein 12h

It’s been forever since an action thriller made me fully goon. Holy peak.

See more

Jessie H.

@RT80876223 15h

Provocative. Brilliant. Unbelievably creative and original. Director John Burr has crafted a thriller that doesn't waste a single frame. It tackles heavy themes of class and race without ever slowing down the action. Visually stunning and deeply unsettling. Suspense with substance.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

John Burr

Director

Mason Gooding

Derek

Algee Smith

Kevin

Keith Powers

Tyon

Jack Snyder

Thad

Sofia Hublitz

Roxy

The Gates: Trailer 1

2:07

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

The Gates follows three college students -- Derek, Kevin, and Tyon (Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers) on a road trip gone wrong, as the three young men take an ill-advised shortcut through a remote gated community, where they find themselves trapped behind the walls after witnessing a murder. Over the course of the night, they find themselves blamed, hunted, and fractured by their own differing belief systems, while the perpetrator--James Van Der Beek, at his most charming and terrifying--emerges as the cunning patriarch that holds the entire community under his influence.

Director: John Burr
Producer: Nancy Leopardi, Ross Kohn, Gary Glushon
Screenwriter: John Burr
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: Indy Entertainment, Core 4 Films
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 38m