Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.
The Gate is a mid-80s suburban horror curiosity with genuine charm in its practical and stop-motion effects work, which elevate the cinematography and visual execution above the norm for B-horror of the era. The premise — pint-sized demons erupting from a backyard — is delightfully quirky and the film has a distinctive, earnest suburban-nightmare tone that sets it apart from generic slashers. However, the plot is thin and episodic, held together mostly by spectacle rather than story logic, and the child acting ranges from passable to awkward. The ending resolves things in a fairly conventional 'triumph of innocence' fashion without much payoff. Still a fondly remembered cult item largely because of its effects craftsmanship and weird sincerity.