Hey gang, Valkor here. This next round of MediaView we'll be keeping with the sci-fi genre, but veering away from time travel (I'm looking at you Collider) and diving into “the multiverse”. This is not a film about “Rick and Morty”, even though that show is awesome and deserves a live-action take. Nope, we’re about to delve into the sci-fi drama that is Alpha Gateway (aka The Gateway). And let me just say, if I was doing a top ten films of 2018, this would be in it!
Alpha Gateway centers on a particle physicist named Jane (Jaqueline Mckenzie), who, along with her partner Regg (Ben Mortley), is putting in work on a teleportation device. At first, it doesn't appear to work until they mess around with some settings and - voila! However, it only sends stuff away, and it does not reappear in the other pod like it's supposed to. Soon after the two make their half-working discovery, Jane’s husband Matt (Myles Pollard) is killed in an accident. Why is this key? Well, you’re about to find out. Though still in mourning, Jane continues her work on the teleportation device. And she deduces that it must be sending their test subject (an apple) to a parallel universe. Only, those on the other side are unable to send anything back due to the fact that they may not have the proper configuration. To test out this theory, the two send a note through the teleporter, which proves successful as a note is sent back along with an apple that’s been bitten. To go even further, Jane sends a video camera, which is returned with proof of life on the other side, showing a parallel version of herself. With this new discovery and given the loss of her husband, Jane decides to visit this other world where she finds the parallel version of Matt. So what does she decide to do? Bring him back with her to her world. And that may prove to be the deadliest decision of Jane and her family’s lives.
My initial breakdown of the story was much longer than what I have here, which took things into mad spoiler territory. And while there were times where I would have gone there, for Alpha Gateway, I couldn’t do it. And I’ll tell you why in the TOV Breakdown!
The Good:
Alpha Gateway was an intense and entertaining ride of a film that left me wanting more – and I hope that there is more because the ending leaves things open for such a case! The story, from start to finish, was simply amazing and it not only draws you in but keeps you on the edge of your seat until that twist ending, which left me floored. I loved how the two worlds were handled given their distinct looks, and while things stayed character-focused, I would have liked for the film to have shown off more of their differences or at least took some time to explore the other world because it appeared rather harsh. That’s not a negative, but I hope we get to delve deeper into the different worlds in future projects (if another film and/or series is developed). But if “Alpha Gateway” is a single effort, then I won’t be mad because it leaves a great impression. I thought all of the performances were on point with Myles Pollard being my favorite of them all; how he portrays Matt from both worlds is pretty impressive work. Jacqueline Mckenzie also gets props for her work as well, though I really wish we could have seen more of her second character. However, her main character is the focus and her performance is topnotch. Overall, The Gateway is a solid effort that combines strong storytelling and intense drama for an experience you won’t soon forget!
The Bad:
I could nitpick certain parts of the films, and I’m sure serious sci-fi fans will tear the science to pieces… maybe. But I won’t, because I enjoyed the film too much to do so. And anything negative might distract from its overall awesomeness.
The Ugly:
N/A
Alpha Gateway is available now on digital video such as Amazon Instant and Google Play. And it’s one sci-fi drama that doesn't disappoint. The film contains both a great plot with amazing storytelling that’s worth the 90-minute trek. I highly recommend it. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving Alpha Gateway a perfect 5.
