Written By: Sam Santiago
Road trips are supposed to be fun, right? Snacks, bad music, and arguing about directions. But if you’re Derek, Kevin, and Tyon, the latest victims of cinematic misfortune, you quickly learn that shortcuts are not your friends. In "The Gates", Lionsgate’s new thriller hitting select theaters on March 13, 2026, these three college students discover the hard way that some gates are meant to stay closed.
It all starts innocently enough. Derek, Kevin, and Tyon, played by Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers, are heading out on a road trip. Somewhere between map-checking and debating who’s driving next, they make a decision that any sane person would avoid: a shortcut through a remote gated community. If only they had listened to that tiny voice in the back of their heads that screamed, “Run away, now.” Of course, they don’t. The shortcut becomes their worst nightmare when they stumble upon a murder and suddenly find themselves trapped behind the walls.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR "THE GATES" BELOW
What follows is a night of escalating chaos. They aren’t just stuck in a community full of angry homeowners; they’re blamed, hunted, and psychologically tested by their own clashing personalities. Derek, Kevin, and Tyon argue, strategize, and try to keep their heads, all while the perpetrator, played by the late James Van Der Beek, emerges as a cunning and terrifying patriarch who manipulates everyone under his control. Van Der Beek, remembered by fans as both charming and intense, brings a presence that is equal parts unsettling and magnetic. His performance adds a layer of dread to the community that makes you wish you’d taken the scenic route instead.
John Burr, returning for his sophomore feature after the supernatural thriller "Muse", handles the tension expertly. While "Muse" leaned into ghostly scares, "The Gates" grounds its terror in human cruelty and high-stakes suspense. There is no friendly ghost to save these guys. Their only options are brains, speed, and luck. It’s a game of survival that feels all too real in a place where every face could be hiding deadly intent.
James Van Der Beek as Jacob in The Gates.
The film is rated R for violence, language, brief drug use, and some sexual content.
Expect blood, fear, and moments that will make you double-check that your front door is actually locked. The dynamic between the three friends is as much fun as it is horrifying. Watching them bicker and strategize under life-or-death pressure is a twisted reminder that some friendships simply don’t survive under duress.
For thriller fans, "The Gates" offers a classic setup with a modern twist. It takes the familiar “trapped in a secluded community” premise and injects it with tension, dark humor, and a villain who isn’t just terrifying but a master manipulator. It’s the kind of movie that makes you reconsider shortcuts, your trust in strangers, and maybe even your taste in road trip snacks.
If you’re planning on seeing it, remember this: it’s March 13, 2026, select theaters only. Bring a friend, hold on tight, and try not to take any shortcuts. In the world of The Gates, every turn could be your last, and every gate might just be a trap waiting to snap shut.