The Gates Holds Los Angeles Special Screening Ahead of Wider Release
- Horror Movies Uncut
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The Gates Hosts Los Angeles Special Screening Ahead of Wider Rollout
Images and video courtesy of Lionsgate.
Some shortcuts are not meant to be taken.
John Burr’s sophomore feature, The Gates, held a special screening in Los Angeles this week, giving audiences an early look at what feels like a tense, socially charged thriller wrapped in gated-community paranoia.
Written and directed by Burr, the film follows his supernatural debut Muse with something more grounded — and arguably more unnerving.
The Gates centers on three college students — Derek, Kevin, and Tyon — played by Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers. What begins as a simple road trip detours into something far more dangerous when the trio takes an ill-advised shortcut through a remote, walled-in community.
Inside those gates, nothing is accidental.
After witnessing a murder, the three young men find themselves trapped within the confines of the community. As night falls, they’re not only blamed — they’re hunted. Suspicion fractures their bond, exposing ideological differences and belief systems that begin to pull them apart under pressure.
Meanwhile, the architect of the chaos reveals himself.
James Van Der Beek delivers what early reactions describe as one of his most unsettling performances yet — a charismatic yet quietly menacing patriarch who appears to hold the entire community under his influence. The horror here doesn’t rely on monsters or jump scares. It relies on power structures, manipulation, and the terrifying idea that an entire neighborhood might operate under one man’s shadow.
Produced by Nancy Leopardi, Ross Kohn, and Gary Glushon, the film positions itself at the intersection of social thriller and psychological siege. There’s something inherently disturbing about gated communities in cinema — the illusion of safety masking something insular and corrupt.
The Los Angeles screening drew attention not only for the film itself but for the cast chemistry and Burr’s confident step into his second feature. If Muse hinted at his genre instincts, The Gates appears to sharpen them.
We’ll be sharing exclusive event photos from the screening and tracking what’s next for the film. There’s a strong possibility audiences will see more of The Gates either right before we head to Texas — or while we’re down there
Until then, remember:
If the gates close behind you, you’re already too late.
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