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Plot Summary

Discover the intricate plot of The Gate (1987). From unexpected twists to emotional highs and lows, this detailed summary breaks down every moment to give you a deeper understanding of the film’s story.


Glen, portrayed by Stephen Dorff, arrives home only to discover it abandoned, with no one responding to his calls. The kitchen reveals a half-eaten dinner, while laughter echoing nearby adds an eerie feel. Venturing into the backyard, he climbs up into a treehouse, where he finds a lit lantern and a doll. Suddenly, his world turns upside down as lightning strikes the tree, causing it to fall.

Awakening to the sounds of construction work, Glen realizes it was merely a nightmare. He looks out the window to see workers removing the tree and unearthing a strange fragment of a geode. Determined to explore further, Glen returns with his friend Terry to dig at the site. Despite the workers’ attempts to close the hole, the two friends unearth a large geode, though Glen suffers a splinter, leaving a trail of blood behind. With their parents away for three days, Glen’s older sister Alexandra, affectionately known as “Al,” takes charge and decides to throw a party.

As the festivities continue, Glen and Terry crack open the geode, revealing bizarre inscriptions left on a notepad. Curious, they read the incantations aloud just as the party guests begin a levitation game, astonishingly managing to lift Glen into the air. That night, Glen experiences a surreal event where his bedroom wall appears to stretch, while Terry unexpectedly embraces the ghostly image of his deceased mother, only to find it is the body of Angus, Glen’s beloved dog.

The next day, Terry arrives with a heavy metal album featuring lyrics inspired by something ominously referred to as The Dark Book. He suggests that the hole in Glen’s backyard could be a portal to malevolent gods, speculating that their previous activities might have awakened something sinister. In a tragic twist, Al’s friend unwittingly completes the summoning by discarding Angus’s body into the hole. While the boys believe they have closed the gateway by reading from The Dark Book, they are unaware of the evil that has already been unleashed.

That night, a swarm of moths burst through Glen’s window, and Terry discovers Angus’s corpse in his bed. Al is nearly pulled under her bed by demonic hands, prompting a frantic rescue from Glen and Terry. Attempting to escape, they encounter their parents but quickly realize that the figures are actually disguised demons. In a bid to regain control, Al volunteers to check the yard but is called back upon seeing swarming little demons.

Desperate for answers, the group goes to the basement to retrieve The Dark Book, but it suddenly ignites into flames, leaving them feeling hopeless. They turn to the Bible to combat the forces they inadvertently summoned. Terry reads from Psalm 59, and the hole begins to close, yet in a moment of turmoil, he falls in and is attacked by demons. Al and Glen pull him out just as the hole starts to seal, and amidst the chaos, Terry throws the Bible into the hole, leading to an explosion that knocks them unconscious.

Upon awakening, they find the hole sealed, but not for long, as a wall breaks open, and a body tumbles through. Glen wonders if this could be the construction worker rumored to have been buried within the walls. Before they can process this, the construction worker grasps Terry, pulling him into the wall, sealing it behind him.

Al senses something sinister when she spots a hazy figure of the construction worker in her mirror. Glen rushes into Al’s room, and the ominous figure confronts them. In a frantic attempt to fend him off, Al throws a stereo, causing him to dissolve into numerous little demons. An intense standoff ensues as Al, holding the bedroom door shut, sees Glen racing downstairs for their father’s gun.

A nightmarish version of Terry then attacks Glen, forcing Al to intervene by stabbing him in the eye with a Barbie doll’s foot. Hiding in a closet, they witness the construction worker break through a wall, and in an act of desperation, Al fires a shot at him, but he remains unharmed, snatching her away.

Realizing that Al and Terry represent the two sacrifices needed to fully open the gate, Glen understands that the rocket Al intended to gift him, symbolizing love and innocence, is key to stopping the rise of the dark entities. Just then, the floor collapses, exposing a chasm beneath the house. Glen retrieves the rocket but struggles to ignite it as the winds intensify. As he is sucked into the foyer, a massive serpent-like demon appears, taps Glen’s head, touches his hand, and retreats, leaving an eye embedded in his palm.

Driven by urgency, Glen removes the eye before descending the stairs, only for the demon to emerge once more. Utilizing a battery-powered launcher, he manages to fire the rocket into the demon, resulting in an explosive release that dissipates the stormy clouds above the house.

Triumphant, Glen returns inside to discover Angus has miraculously returned to life, followed closely by Al and Terry, who are unharmed. The trio now faces the daunting task of explaining the chaotic scene to their unsuspecting parents.

Timeline

Track the key events of The Gate (1987) with a comprehensive timeline. Perfect for understanding the sequence of major plot points, this feature offers clarity on how the story unfolds.


Glen's Discovery

Glen arrives home only to find it abandoned, with no sign of his family. An eerie atmosphere surrounds him as he notices a half-eaten dinner in the kitchen, followed by distant laughter that adds to the mystery.

Glen's Home

Nightmare Experience

In a nightmarish vision, Glen climbs up to a treehouse where he finds a lit lantern and a doll, only for lightning to strike the tree, causing it to collapse. This shocking event abruptly awakens him, revealing it was all a frightening dream.

Treehouse

Unearthing Secrets

Upon waking, Glen witnesses construction workers removing the fallen tree and uncovering a mysterious geode. Intrigued, he decides to return to the site with his friend Terry to investigate further, feeling an urge to dig deeper.

Backyard

Uncovering the Geode

Glen and Terry successfully unearth a large geode but not without incident, as Glen suffers a splinter and bleeds, leaving a trace behind. This discovery fuels their curiosity and sets the stage for further exploration of the geode's significance.

Backyard

Party Planning

With their parents away for several days, Al decides to throw a party, gathering friends and setting the stage for unexpected chaos. The event brings excitement, but also presents vulnerabilities as supernatural events begin to unfold.

Glen's Home

The Incantation

As the party progresses, Glen and Terry crack open the geode and read the bizarre inscriptions aloud. Almost immediately, the guests participate in a levitation game that unexpectedly elevates Glen into the air, indicating something beyond their control.

Living Room

Haunting Manifestations

That night, Glen witnesses a surreal stretching of his bedroom wall while Terry encounters the ghostly visage of his deceased mother, revealing disturbing connections to the supernatural. To their horror, they discover Angus, Glen's dog, dead in an unexpected twist.

Night Glen's Bedroom

The Dark Book

Terry brings forth a heavy metal album that references *The Dark Book*, theorizing that the hole in Glen's backyard may be a portal to malevolent entities. Their fears intensify as they realize their actions might have invoked dark forces.

Glen's Home

The Unfortunate Summoning

A grave mistake occurs when Al's friend accidentally discards Angus's body into the hole, completing a sinister summoning. While Glen and Terry hope they can reverse the effects, dark powers have already begun to manifest in their world.

Backyard

Demons and Desperation

A swarm of moths enters Glen's room, indicating the dark entities are closing in. Glen and Terry attempt to rescue Al from being dragged under her bed by demon hands, escalating the battle against these malevolent forces.

Night Glen's Home

A Fight Against Demonic Forces

When Glen and Terry encounter their parents, they soon realize these figures are actually disguised demons. As the situation spirals out of control, Al bravely volunteers to investigate outside, only to face terrifying little demons swarming her.

Backyard

Retrieving The Dark Book

The group heads to the basement hoping to find *The Dark Book*, but when they do, it ignites into flames. With hope dwindling, they switch to the Bible as a last resort to combat the dark forces they inadvertently unleashed.

Basement

Chaos and Sacrifice

In a heart-stopping turn of events, Terry is pulled into the hole by demons after reading from the Bible. His friends manage to pull him back just in time, but Terry's desperate action only results in chaos as he throws the Bible into the hole, triggering an explosion.

Basement

Confrontation with Evil

As the dust settles from the explosion, Glen and the group find the hole sealed, but chaos unfolds again when a body crashes through the wall. Their fears escalate as Terry is suddenly attacked and yanked into the wall by the construction worker's ghost.

Living Room

Final Stand

In the face of great peril, Glen must ignite a rocket—symbolizing hope and innocence—to stop the malevolent forces. An explosive showdown culminates with Glen successfully defeating the demon, ultimately reviving Angus and winning back Al and Terry, but leaving them with a daunting task.

Final Battle Glen's Home

Characters

Meet the characters that bring The Gate (1987) to life. Dive into detailed profiles of the cast and their roles, exploring their motivations, relationships, and arcs within the story.


Glen (Stephen Dorff)

Glen is the protagonist who evolves from a carefree child to a determined hero battling dark forces. His initial intrigue transforms into responsibility as he faces fears for his family and friends. His character showcases courage and resilience as he confronts supernatural threats and strives to save those he loves.

🧒 Boy 🚪 Adventurer 💪 Hero

Alexandra 'Al' (Kelly Rowan)

Al, Glen's older sister, takes charge during the absence of their parents. She goes from being a typical adolescent to a crucial player in the climactic struggle against the demons. Her courageous spirit and protective instincts shine as she fights to safeguard her family from malevolent spirits.

👧 Sister 🚀 Protector 🌪️ Brave

Terry (Louis Tripp)

Terry is Glen's close friend who shares in the exploration and subsequent horror. His enthusiasm leads to complications as they delve deeper into the supernatural. When faced with fear and loss, Terry displays loyalty and a resolve to confront the dark forces they unleashed.

👦 Friend 🎸 Music Lover ⚡ Challenger

Setting

Uncover the settings of The Gate (1987), from iconic locations to the time period that shapes its world. See how these elements add depth and context to the movie’s narrative.


Time period

The events unfold in a contemporary setting, characterized by the normalcy of suburban life juxtaposed with supernatural occurrences. This time period serves to amplify the horror as familiar surroundings become distorted by dark forces.

Location

Glen's House, Backyard, Treehouse

The main setting is Glen's house, which transforms from a familiar home to a battleground against evil forces. The backyard features a tree that becomes a pivotal aspect of the story when it reveals a hidden geode. The treehouse serves as both a nostalgic childhood retreat and a site of eerie supernatural events.

🏠 Home 🌳 Nature 🎉 Party

Themes

Explore the core themes of The Gate (1987). From its commentary on social issues to its emotional undertones, delve into the deeper messages woven into the film’s story.


👻

Supernatural Horror

The movie delves into supernatural horror, exploring themes of unwittingly unleashing malevolent spirits and the consequences of meddling with dark rituals. Glen and his friends stumble upon ancient powers that turn their innocent curiosity into a struggle for survival against evil forces. The horror escalates as the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur.

🔍

Curiosity and Consequences

Curiosity drives Glen and Terry to explore the geode, which leads to a series of dangerous events. Their initial excitement transforms into fear as they realize their actions have awakened sinister entities. This theme underscores the idea that some knowledge is best left undiscovered and highlights the unintended repercussions of their explorations.

💔

Loss and Sacrifice

The narrative weaves themes of loss and sacrifice as Glen confronts the disappearance of beloved characters and faces oppressive evils. The sacrifice of his dog Angus and the threat to his sister Al illustrate the emotional stakes, emphasizing the lengths one will go to protect loved ones in dire situations.

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