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The Gates Opens in Theaters, Showcasing James Van Der Beek’s Final Role

Early reviews single out his soft‑spoken menace as the film’s defining strength.

Overview

  • John Burr’s low-budget second feature follows three young Black men trapped inside a predominantly white Texas gated community after witnessing violence.
  • Critics describe the movie as an understated social thriller that emphasizes microaggressions and property-value anxieties without resorting to racial slurs.
  • James Van Der Beek plays Pastor Jacob with cordial, controlled menace, and the film is dedicated to the actor following his death last month.
  • Mason Gooding, Keith Powers and Algee Smith draw praise for their chemistry, with Gooding noted as a particularly sympathetic lead.
  • Set around Dallas–Fort Worth but shot near Tulsa, the roughly 90‑minute film earns notes for familiar plotting yet is viewed as a respectable send-off.