James Van Der Beek’s final film gives him a good send-off

PLOT:  Three friends’ road trip turns terrifying when they witness a murder in a gated community. Trapped inside, hunted by residents who blame them, their bond fractures as a charismatic yet sinister patriarch closes in.

REVIEW: The passing of James Van Der Beek rocked the entertainment world last month. Thankfully, he did have a few projects that he’d completed before his untimely passing, the first of which being The Gates. Horror isn’t a genre that we’ve seen the actor appear in often so it’s exciting to see him in the part. Let alone as the villain.

The Gates follows three friends as they’re heading out to party for the night. In search of a shortcut, they end up in a gated community and witness a murder. Now, they must try to escape while the murderer, the most trusted man within the community, is after them. We get the classic horror trope of everything starting because of one poor decision: taking a detour. And while there are many familiar elements, I think the execution is what makes the film escape mediocrity.

Mason Gooding is becoming a staple of the horror genre, and I couldn’t be happier about it. From Heart Eyes to the later Scream films, he’s often a highlight and is instantly likable. Here is no different, and he’s very easy to root for. It’s too bad he’s the only one of the friend group that is. Algee Smith’s Kevin is one of the most frustrating characters, constantly pointing at race for all his problems, versus acknowledging his behavior is that of an asshole. He doesn’t know how to engage in any situation without conflict, and it makes him incredibly obnoxious. They try to redeem him but by that point, it’s too late. Keith Powers’ Tyon also has a bit of a tacked-on arc.

James Van Der Beek is really great as the preacher, Jacob, who has done a very bad thing. He is the most interesting kind of villain there is: one that thinks he’s a good guy. His church and what he’s done for the community give him such an altered perception of his own actions. There are some great moments for Van Der Beek to really sink his teeth into. The manipulation of his community is great, and it makes you wonder what other nefarious things he’s gotten away with over the years. I also really enjoyed Brad Leland, whom I’ve been a fan of since his Friday Night Lights days.

I really liked most of the story, but there are times when it stumbles a bit. One of the dumbest moments is when, after trying to get into the gated community, they’re immediately bemoaning that they want to get out. You were literally trying to get in! I’d point more towards the writing than anything because there was a way to go about it without making the characters look so impatient and stupid. Maybe try this thing like continuing to follow your GPS since you trusted it enough to take you into such a place. Plus, it’s hard to believe any map service would send you through a gated community, let alone one that is so locked down.

I also had a hard time really getting a grasp on this gated community, as it seems like it practically has its own economy with a country club, yoga studio, and a house party that implied there were a lot of people living in the area. We don’t really see enough of the place to get a grasp of the scale, and so many of the interactions are just one-on-one, even when it’s a big party setting.

It doesn’t break any new ground, but I quite enjoyed The Gates as it reminded me of 2022’s Emergency. It dealt with race in an interesting way and doesn’t come across as overly preachy (which is ironic, given the subject matter). While I wish he were still with us, this is a respectable role for Van Der Beek to go out on, as he really shows out for it. He and Gooding are clear standouts, and it’s all the more baffling why this is seemingly being shadow-dropped on Friday the 13th of all days. Here’s hoping it finds an audience, because I think this will surprise a lot of people.

The Gates releases to theaters on March 13th, 2026.

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