Indeed, there is no end of action in writer & director Michele Civetta's "The Gateway," a grimy little thriller about an ex-con Mike (Zach Avery of "The White Crow") released from prison and goes back to serve his crime boss Duke (Frank Grillo of "Warrior"), while making life miserable for his wife Dahlia (Olivia Munn of "Ride Along 2") and his young daughter Ashley (Taegen Burns of "Blue Ridge"). Actually, it is a seedy little drama about a variety of losers. At the center of this mayhem stands the social worker hero, Parker (Shea Whigham of "The Lincoln Lawyer"). Whigham delivers a bravura performance, and you won't take your eyes off him. He is genuinely concerned about the people that he is compelled to help. Primarily, an orphan raised within the system himself who was abandoned by his gifted musician father Marcus (Bruce Dern of "Nebraska"), Parker lives to serve others until an obnoxious co-worker goads him into punching him out. Parker's superior hates this turn of events as much as she abhors having to fire him. Meantime, after Mike is back home running his wife and daughter crazy, he goes after a big score that belongs to the cartel. Ultimately, he stashes three bricks of heroin in his daughter's bag. Of course, Mike lied to Ashley about the contents, and she was told it was a gift for her mother. The relationship between Dahlia and Mike is a battlefield. Dahlia is desperate for help, and she turns to Parker. Valiantly, Parker intervenes again, but he has lost his job and the authority that came with it. The ending is downbeat. If you're expecting Frank Grillo to be in the middle of this fracas, you are going to be disappointed. He is confined to the periphery. "The Gateway" qualifies as an atmospheric thriller that won't satisfy with its abrasive ending.
Review of The Gateway
