Devil’s Gate is a 2017 Canadian-American science-fiction horror film directed by Clay Staub (second unit director on The Thing and Dawn of the Dead) from a screenplay co-written with Peter Aperlo. The Caramel Film/Mednick Productions stars Milo Ventimiglia, Bridget Regan and Amanda Schull.
Plot:
In the small town of Devil’s Gate, North Dakota, a local woman (Bridget Regan) and her son have gone missing. While all indicators point to husband Jackson Pritchard (Milo Ventimiglia) as the prime suspect, pushy outsider FBI agent Daria Francis instinctively feels something else is going on in this close-knit hamlet and together with deputy Colt Salter goes to investigate. And indeed they do track down Pritchard, a man caged in unrelenting darkness and despair. However, nothing is what it seems…
Reviews [contains spoilers]:
“Devil’s Gate is not a one-trick pony where the whole story is supported by a few twists. It thoroughly explores and tells a story with purposeful, sentient characters, while nodding thoughtfully to the genres that inspired it. If twisting, genre-bending films make you squeal with joy, then put Devil’s Gate on your list of must-see movies this year.” SciFi4Me
“Everyone does the best they can, I am sure, but sometimes the artistic ambition exceeds the realistic reach. Nonetheless, the film is willing to gamble on its overall narrative goals, and by that point, I was willing to suspend my disbelief. Devil’s Gate is such a likable picture that its limitations diminish in memory.” Screen Anarchy
“Devil’s Gate was probably the truest midnight movie programmed at this year’s Tribeca. There are some wonderfully goopey practical monster effects, which are nicely complimented by the attitude-drenched dialogue. Basically, they convince us it is a real hassle to find yourself under siege from slimy demonic creatures. Amanda Schull really helps elevate Gate a notch or two.” J.B. Spins
“Feeling a lot like the recently released, and far more entertaining, The Void, Devil’s Gate simply rehashes a plotline we’ve seen many times before but doesn’t add anything of value to it. Eye-rollingly cheesy dialogue combined with a story that starts off strong but eventually loses momentum combine to create a forgettable sci-fi horror experience that has some solid effects but little else.” Film Pulse
“The alien presence could have been developed more, by including the aliens in more shots – stalking the farm, or tormenting their latest abductee. Scenes like these could have improved the tension. As it is, Devil’s Gate just does not hold one’s interest. A lack of action and conflict, through earlier parts of the film, just make the film drag too slowly.” 28 Days Later Analysis
Main cast:
- Milo Ventimiglia – Kiss of the Damned; Pathology; Cursed
- Bridget Regan
- Amanda Schull
- Javier Botet
- Shawn Ashmore
- Jonathan Frakes
- Spencer Drever
- Adam Hurtig
- Beverly Ndukwu
- Sarah Constible
- Will Woytowich
- Scott Johnson
- Jean-François Ferland
- Jan Skene
Filming locations:
Sanford and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
