The Gateway

The Gateway

A social worker assigned to the care of the daughter of a single mother intervenes when the dad returns from prison and lures them into a life of crime.

  • Released: 2021-09-03
  • Runtime: 91 minutes
  • Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
  • Stars: Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Taryn Manning, Frank Grillo, Bruce Dern, Keith David, Mark Boone Junior, Zach Avery, Jessica Medina, Alexander Wraith, Jay Hieron, Taegen Burns, Nick Daly, Shannon Adawn, Mike O'Connell, Michele Hicks
  • Director: Michele Civetta
 Comments
  • bryangary65 - 19 January 2023
    Not a gate to be closed
    Much better than current rating of 4.8

    Okay not the best thriller you are ever likely to see, but on a cold winters night a decent way of passing an hour and a half without being bored

    Shea Whigham has always been a good if slightly underrated actor and again in this movie is worth watching as he carries the story with a decent support act by Bruce Dern.

    The plot has a bit of believable feel about it, with good action and sub storylines making you invested in the film. Also a nice atmospheric feel to it all and I would say overall there are plenty worse similar movies around, so give it a go.
  • zardoz-13 - 7 October 2021
    Grim Crime Thriller with a Sturdy Cast
    Indeed, there is no end of action in writer & director Michele Civetta's "The Gateway," a grimy little thriller about an ex-con Mike (Zach Avery of "The White Crow") released from prison and goes back to serve his crime boss Duke (Frank Grillo of "Warrior"), while making life miserable for his wife Dahlia (Olivia Munn of "Ride Along 2") and his young daughter Ashley (Taegen Burns of "Blue Ridge"). Actually, it is a seedy little drama about a variety of losers. At the center of this mayhem stands the social worker hero, Parker (Shea Whigham of "The Lincoln Lawyer"). Whigham delivers a bravura performance, and you won't take your eyes off him. He is genuinely concerned about the people that he is compelled to help. Primarily, an orphan raised within the system himself who was abandoned by his gifted musician father Marcus (Bruce Dern of "Nebraska"), Parker lives to serve others until an obnoxious co-worker goads him into punching him out. Parker's superior hates this turn of events as much as she abhors having to fire him. Meantime, after Mike is back home running his wife and daughter crazy, he goes after a big score that belongs to the cartel. Ultimately, he stashes three bricks of heroin in his daughter's bag. Of course, Mike lied to Ashley about the contents, and she was told it was a gift for her mother. The relationship between Dahlia and Mike is a battlefield. Dahlia is desperate for help, and she turns to Parker. Valiantly, Parker intervenes again, but he has lost his job and the authority that came with it. The ending is downbeat. If you're expecting Frank Grillo to be in the middle of this fracas, you are going to be disappointed. He is confined to the periphery. "The Gateway" qualifies as an atmospheric thriller that won't satisfy with its abrasive ending.