Old-school board games become cool again when audiences press “Play” on Jackson Stewart’s Beyond the Gates, which will eject horror on VOD audiences December 9th.

IFC Midnight acquired the film ahead of the fest after its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this summer. Kalyn Corrigan was at the premiere and offered her thoughts in this review:

‘Beyond the Gates’ is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like ‘The Gate’, ‘The Beyond’, and ‘Re-Animator’. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, the film stars horror icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Sun Choke, You’re Next), as well as Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (Siren, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer produced alongside Barbara Crampton.