Two brothers, one VHS board game, and a quest to find their presumably dead father highlight the intriguing trailer and poster for Beyond the Gates, Jackson Stewart's new horror adventure film that co-stars Barbara Crampton.
Synopsis: "A retro-cool blast from the day-glo 1980s past, Beyond the Gates zaps viewers back to a time when VHS ruled, video stores were meccas for horror fans, and shocks came with a healthy dose of schlock. In the wake of their father’s mysterious disappearance, two estranged brothers—responsible Gordon (Graham Skipper of ALMOST HUMAN) and reckless John (Chase Williamson of JOHN DIES AT THE END)—reunite to sift through the contents of his stubbornly anachronistic VHS rental store. Among the inventory, they discover an interactive VCR board game, which their father viewed just before he vanished. Intrigued, the boys pop in the tape, press play, and soon discover that, far from an ordinary game, the video is a portal to a nightmarish alternate reality overseen by a sinister hostess (cult horror icon Barbara Crampton) and that in order to save their father’s soul, they must play by her rules. Bursting with eye-popping practical effects, an unsettling synth score, and wicked black humor, Beyond the Gates puts a fresh spin on old-school terror."
Directed by Jackson Stewart, Beyond the Gates stars Graham Skipper, Chase Williamson, Brea Grant, Matt Mercer, Jesse Merlin, Justin Welborn, Sara Malakul Lane, Henry LeBlanc, and Barbara Crampton. IFC Midnight will release Beyond the Gates in select theaters and on VOD and digital platforms beginning December 9th.
In case you missed it, check out Heather's Los Angeles Film Festival review of Beyond the Gates, as well as her interview with co-writer/director Jackson Stewart and co-star Barbara Crampton.