Serial killer William Colcott has been sentenced to death by an electric chair in 1890s London for the murder of dozens of women. Before his execution, he places a curse on the prison and everyone in it. Two post-mortem photographers/paranormal investigators try to prevent the killers’ spirit from escaping the prison but find that the task will be a daunting one.

THE GOOD

The Gates stars Richard Brake who I think is great in any movie he is in. He pulls off a great performance as the frightening serial killer. John Rhys-Davies and Elena Delia play the uncle/niece duo Frederick Ladbroke and Emma Wickes, who are photographers that have been called to the prison to take post-mortem pictures of the deceased Colcott. When they discover some strange things in his pictures, we see that they are also amateur paranormal investigators and along with Lucian Abberton (played by Michael Yare) from the British Paranormal Society, they set out to investigate and rid the prison of the evil spirit. I liked the plot and thought the movie had a good flow to it. The cinematography was also very good. The scene where Lucian summons Colcott was terrifying and spooky. I also liked when the killer possessed different people in the prison.

THE BAD

In the very beginning, we see Colcott performing some kind of satanic ritual with one of his victims to summon or resurrect his wife. There was no real mention of it throughout the rest of the movie. Even though the character was evil, I think it would have shown another side of him that would have been interesting to see. Also, not enough Richard Brake!

OVERALL

I thought the movie was good. Great acting, storyline, and action. If you’re a fan of Richard Brake, put this one on your list. The Gates will be out on VOD on June 27, 2023.