‘The Gatehouse is a horror/fantasy/comedy about 10-year-old Eternity (Scarlett Rayner) who spends her time digging for treasure in the ancient forest that surrounds her house, but eventually digs up something that the forest wants to take back. A complaint many people seem to have about this film is that the tone is a bit all over the place, and I have to agree; it starts out giving the impression that it’s going to be about a haunting or a psychological horror as it shows the nightmares of Eternity’s father, Jack (Simeon Willis), as well as including fantasy and mythological elements. On top of that, it also makes an attempt at humour.
Some of the humour in particular is what feels most out of place as it seems to contradict the type of characters that were established in the beginning of the film. For example, Eternity and Jack are shown to have a sweet, charming relationship in the opening scenes, and we’re given the impression that Eternity is an unusual but well-meaning child, yet later on becomes really rude and annoying to the point where I found it difficult to sympathise with her any more. In fact, it made me a little more sympathetic towards Jack for having to put up with her, and I don’t think that’s the reaction the film was trying to go for.
There are some nice shots in the film and the setting is beautiful. The gatehouse and the forest certainly have a character of their own – it’s great to see a low budget film manage to find the perfect location, and it does help to put emphasis on the mystic and magical elements of the film. Overall, I wouldn’t actively recommend this film because it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be and could’ve done with better performances (some of the delivery felt a little off at times) and the ending was too cheesy for me, but it’s easy viewing and a quick watch. It does at least to have something to say with Eternity and Jack’s relationship even if it is inconsistent, and that’s easily the best thing about it.
Some of the humour in particular is what feels most out of place as it seems to contradict the type of characters that were established in the beginning of the film. For example, Eternity and Jack are shown to have a sweet, charming relationship in the opening scenes, and we’re given the impression that Eternity is an unusual but well-meaning child, yet later on becomes really rude and annoying to the point where I found it difficult to sympathise with her any more. In fact, it made me a little more sympathetic towards Jack for having to put up with her, and I don’t think that’s the reaction the film was trying to go for.
There are some nice shots in the film and the setting is beautiful. The gatehouse and the forest certainly have a character of their own – it’s great to see a low budget film manage to find the perfect location, and it does help to put emphasis on the mystic and magical elements of the film. Overall, I wouldn’t actively recommend this film because it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be and could’ve done with better performances (some of the delivery felt a little off at times) and the ending was too cheesy for me, but it’s easy viewing and a quick watch. It does at least to have something to say with Eternity and Jack’s relationship even if it is inconsistent, and that’s easily the best thing about it.
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