Beyond the Gates
User Score
8.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11

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  1. JohnL.
    May 5, 2008
    10
    As a Missionary, I was deeply touched by this movie. The sadness of how humanity treats humanity, and how no one stepped in to try to stop it... I recommend it to all who have never set foot in other countries, and to all who need a shock awakening as to what is going on elsewhere in the world besides here in the US. A fine depiction of both the Depravity of Man and the inability/unwillingness of governments to do what they ought to...unless there is something at stake for them to gain or prevent the loss of. A staunch reminder that Man's ways don't work, and that while God permits us to do these kinds of things to ourselves and our fellow humans, His ways are way so above ours and are what is needed in this world, if we would only permit Him to operate through us to effect the necessary changes. Think of it as a Prelude to/indication of what the tiniest bit of the coming Tribulation will be like, except the Tribulation will be on a MUCH larger scale and will be much much worse!!… Expand
  2. TonyB.
    Mar 8, 2007
    3
    A Film that tries too hard at being like honest and moving and instead falls to the hollywood stereotypes and political obsessions like so many africa-based films these days do. Entertaining, well acted, and at times powerful, but overall it comes up empty and brings little light to a done-with issue that has already been covered. A box office flop and a dull film. 3.2/10.
  3. RogerO.
    Mar 8, 2007
    9
    A profoundly moving and beautiful film that gets right to the point in a real-life depiction of a horrendous genocide build up. It shows you what really happened while delivering excellent acting performances. Not afraid to tell you the truth, and always in your face to show it. One of the best films of March.
  4. [Anonymous]
    Mar 8, 2007
    4
    I have studied both genocide, Rwanda, and cinema and I have seen "Hotel Rwanda" and the famous PBS documentary on the autocracies. This movie is well-made, smart, well-acted, and very entertaining. It is mostly accurate and defintly brutal in its honesty about a matter that was nothing but brutal. However, dispite the films innocent goodness, it is somewhat stupid. It tries so hard to educated you, as if you knew nothing, and instead achives a repetitive, dry one-perspective white story. The film gives you content, but no real backround of a situation. The greatest failure of the film, written by David Wolstencroft, is its inability to enter into the lives of the Rwandans, Tutsi and Hutu alike. The movie never moves beyond the tragic facts to show us the human face of either victims or perpetrators. All we get are white people shaking their heads and cursing Western governments.… Expand
  5. LindaN.
    Mar 8, 2007
    8
    John Hurt is magnetic as a Catholic priest running a school where terrified Tutsi have taken refuge, while Hugh Dancy, as a naive teacher, represents white commitment to black Africa at its most impotent and unreliable.
  6. SeanH.
    Mar 16, 2007
    10
    It is one of the most intense, riveting and honest pieces of cinema I have ever seen. I mean no disrespect towards "Hotel Rwanda" which is a very strong and important film, but I can tell you that it simply pales in comparison to "Beyond the Gates" which was shot in Rwanda at the actual locations in and around Kigali.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    60
    Although in many respects a more stylish, authentic, tougher-minded film than "Hotel Rwanda," director Michael Caton-Jones' respectable and well-intentioned Beyond the Gates (aka Shooting Dogs) still falls into the trap of filtering an inherently African story through the eyes of a noble white protagonist -- in this case, two of them.
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  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    60
    Though hobbled by its anxious impulse to teach history to an audience that by now surely knows the basic contours of Rwanda's tragedy, the script apportions blame where it belongs (on high), while leaving smaller fry--including an admirably un-cute BBC journalist--dangling, however sympathetically, on the hook.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    50
    The greatest failure of the film, written by David Wolstencroft, is its inability to enter into the lives of the Rwandans, Tutsi and Hutu alike. The movie never moves beyond the tragic facts to show us the human face of either victims or perpetrators. All we get are white people shaking their heads and cursing Western governments.
    Read full review
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