Through the Wide Gate (2018) Poster

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6/10
Interesting film. Great potential
jaywalker-778637 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I think this short has potential for a longer full-length film. The premise, soundtrack, cinematography are all pretty on-point, and as a proclaimed 'psychological thriller', it does check all the boxes. The dismissive and demanding mother seemed a bit far-fetched, as the only interactions with her daughter are brief, entirely dismissive, and aggressively commanding - which sells the storyline for sure, but felt a bit forced in execution. The Father Gary character was bizarre to the point of humorous, which I'm not entirely sure was the intent, but his final spiel was highly amusing.

Developed into a fuller feature this film has a lot of potential to really paint the characters, shed light on their backstories, and really develop the plot in a more substantial and suspenseful way.

I was left with a handful of questions though. Was this a hallucination? Was this all a metaphor for angsty teenage lust and overbearing religious parenting? How did the lead character end up offing the temptress? As weird as this may sound, I feel that newer horror films tend to really embrace the "pan away from the kill" technique, as opposed to the old splatter-fests to which they supposedly pay homage.

Fun short overall, definitely worth the watch, and kept me entertained for the duration. I think there is a lot of potential here for this to develop a stronger plot line, explain some backstory, delve into some more psychological twists, and even add in some gore to keep viewers on edge. For as short as it is, and the intent of the film though, this certainly hits the marks.
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7/10
An influenced yet original approach to a religious psyche
Horrorman142814 April 2018
In the age of throwbacks, this short film exceeds the rather middle of the way bar that other self proclaimed fanboys have set with full length features. The writer/director, Patrick Clement, has done more in 15 minutes than most can do with a fully fleshed out script. The acting was surprisingly good, as was the score. The film left me wanting more and didn't meander into the realm of overstaying it's welcome. This film is a synth-laced hymn praising the undertones of Carrie with it's feet toeing the atmosphere of Lucky McKee's film, May. A real treat for fans of the ambiguous and dreamlike nature of a visionary's passion project.

Kudos to all involved.
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7/10
"Narrow is the gate"
BluDevil7610 April 2018
I will start off saying, that for such a short film it definitely left you with wanting more. For only about 15 minutes in length, it didn't give much time for character development. For what little time there was, a lot of the film was left to the imagination. A fill in the blank kind of experience. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing here, as it is a short film. But there are so many unanswered questions.

It appears that young Mary is struggling spiritually and wrestling with inner demons of her own. "Narrow is the gate".

Marys overbearing-controlling Mother isn't helping the situation any. Although, we only see a couple of brief moments of interaction, we see enough to lead us to that conclusion and know she is part of the problem. This needs to be developed further.

Who is Beatrice? Where did she really come from? What are her true intentions, if any? Could Beatrice really be an alter personality of Mary? Definitely endless possibilities here.

The Father Gary character was an odd one. I was left wondering, was this actually how the Gary character was intended or was this Marys twisted view of Gary in her own head that we are seeing? I'm leaning towards her own disturbed delusions of Gary.

Which brings us to the big question. Did she actually commit murder or not?

There is a lot of potential here to build on and turn this short movie into a full length feature film. I would be very interested in viewing the full feature and getting more insight into all the characters and a deeper storyline. Some really good ingredients here, just need to complete the recipe full circle!

Hopefully one day we will get to find out if Mary actually crossed Through The Wide Gate.
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8/10
A love letter to the 70s
owlloveyouu7 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
If you're a fan of 70s horror/mystery, then this short is perfect for you. Mary lives a very religious life which seems due to her mother (Carrie reference!) Mary has an obsession and will do anything to stop the demon from taking that away from her.



*SPOILERS* I wish the audience was able to see Mary killing Beatrice. But then again it made it even more mysterious that we didn't know.

The ending left me wanting more and seeing where else life and "Reverend Gary" takes Mary.

The music score was absolutely perfect and created a very eerie atmosphere in every single scene. Most of the time the soundtrack to a horror film can make or break it, this one definitely MADE IT! (Isn't it amazing how music can make us feel uncomfoand tense without knowing why or what's happening next in a film?) Now that's what I call an amazing film!

If you like Halloween, House of the Devil, and Suspiria, then you will love this short film!
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8/10
Beautiful and Haunting
troyheard11 April 2018
I loved every second of this 1970s throwback. It reminded me of the gems you'd find broadcast as the NBC Movie of the Week. The acting was fine, the atmosphere was effective and the music was much better than most found in short independent films. Several reviewers have suggested an expanded feature adaptation - I second that.

In full disclosure, I received a screener copy of the film from the director. When it arrived via U.S. Mail as a VHS clamshell complete with $1.00 Rental Sticker and a bonus audio cassette (that looked just like the RCA titles I used to see at Tower Records) I was skeptical. So much authenticity usually creates a hype that isn't often achieved.

I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised, and I look forward to more from this creative team.
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9/10
Worth Checking Out!
cat-9088926 April 2018
From the soundtrack to the acting, amazing! I enjoyed this one and I really do hope you get the funds to complete this movie. One of the best short films I've seen in a long time.
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8/10
This needs to be a feature length!
hybridzombie6 April 2018
From the start this film leaves you with a whose done it taste in your mouth the 15 minutes don't give it justice. Bravo to everyone who was on board with this, to the soundtrack to the actors to the camera crew and director. I hope you get the funds to complete this. One of the best short films I've seen.
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