Sometimes the scariest thing isn’t what’s hiding in the dark—it’s what was left behind, waiting to be found.
by Nav Qateel
Secret upon secret is revealed in writer-director Daniel Broom’s second affair, Stonegate, a surprisingly strong feature-length film that points to a relatively new filmmaker finding his creative voice. Clearly working on a tight budget but not allowing that fact to dictate the quality of the film being produced, Broom attempts to pen an interesting, layered mystery-thriller and mostly succeeds where others might have produced an overcomplicated, convoluted mess. Not here, as every time I expected the story to veer off in the wrong direction after a new part of the mystery was uncovered, Broom surprised us by keeping the story on point and clearly understood.
Opening in the past, the film shows the inside of Stonegate, a large asylum where folks are being treated questionably, but one person in particular is the main focus. After a death occurs, which coincidentally is also filmed on videotape, we move to the present day, where we follow four kids who decide to visit the now-closed and long-abandoned Stonegate as they poke around for their amusement.
Stonegate is a very creepy place, with strange occurrences happening while the young people are looking around. One of the kids comes across a VHS videotape, and after going to one of their homes to view said tape, they witness a patient being killed followed by a hasty cover-up. They argue about what to do with this evidence that they have uncovered; however, the implications are huge, as the tape appears to show that the killer is somewhat familiar to each of them, but one kid in particular. Before they get to do any more sleuthing, the supernatural rears its ugly head, forcing a showdown with the killer and the cover-up.
For a modest production of this nature, it’s normal to expect it to be mediocre in quality, yet I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining Broom’s mystery thriller was and how well thought out it turned out to be. While the writing did most of the heavy lifting, the young people were solid performers, outshining the adults more often than not. The cast were not experienced actors, yet they clearly brought their A game, and this helped sell the story Daniel Broom was telling. Perfect it was not; however, Stonegate demonstrates that the filmmaker knows what he’s doing and looks to have a bright future doing something he’s passionate about. I will genuinely be seeking out his future works to see just how far he’s come along.
If you’re a fan of mysteries and stories with a twist, then Stonegate is absolutely worth seeking out. It’s nicely filmed, the location was perfect for the story, and the kids were natural performers. The twists were wonderfully effective and were, for me, the highlight of the movie. Stonegate is an easy recommendation.
Nav’s Score: 8/10
