The Pale Door

Well, initially all I knew about "The Pale Door" was that it was allegedly some sort of horror movie. And truth be told, that was essentially all that was needed to have my interest. But I must also say that the movie's cover/poster definitely had caught my attention as well.

So I sat down to watch the 2020 movie titled "The Pale Door", not really knowing what to expect from it, so writers Cameron Burns, Aaron B. Koontz and Keith Lansdale had all the possibilities to impress me with this movie.

Sadly, they didn't really manage to do so. Sure, I will admit that "The Pale Door" definitely had potential, but director Aaron B. Koontz just dropped the ball before the movie hit the halfway marker, and the movie never regained its momentum after that. And it ended up being a less than mediocre movie, actually.

The storyline told in "The Pale Door" started out adequately, but it was fast sliding downhill before hitting the halfway milestone, and director Aaron B. Koontz didn't manage to bring the movie back on track. And then suddenly there were crisp and burnt women milling about, just to add to an already befuddled storyline.

It should be said that the acting in the movie was adequate, but it was a real shame that the actors and actresses had precious little to work with in terms of a proper script and storyline. And it reflected poorly on the overall impression of the movie.

I am rating this western horror a less than mediocre four out of ten stars. This was a movie that came quietly in under the radar, and it will leave just as quietly as well, never to be seen a second time. I suppose if you have absolutely nothing else to watch, "The Pale Door" can suffice. But don't get your hopes up for a grand moment in cinematic history.

I like the plot even though it slightly mirrors the same plot of Robert Rodriguez' 1996 film called From Dusk til Dawn but with witches. Plus acting was pretty fair.

There is nothing very original here. A gang high jack a train and find something unexpected. The cast is a joy and there are some neat ideas here and there. But sadly, it is a slow and slightly boring movie, that never lives up to the premise of cowboys vs witches. You could do worse, but if you want good Wild West horror, watch Bone Tomahawk instead.

The trailer made it look like it was going to be interesting but this movie is not good at all. The acting is wooden, the story isn't interesting even though it could have been, the costumes look brand new and there is nothing scary or funny or thrilling or moving about it at all. Is it impossible to find a good low budget horror these days? i know small budgets come with limitations but that shouldn't have an effect on creativity. As somebody else said, watch Bone Tomahawk instead if you want a good western set horror movie.

This could have been a really great, creepy little b-movie with just a few minor tweaks. The first 20 or so minutes really had me drawn in. The acting was a little inconsistent but passable. Wardrobes and sets felt pretty cheap but I can usually overlook that. But then the witches show up. And I mean cartoonish, pointy-nosed, cackling Wizard of Oz witches. But they're also zombies sort of? Spraying blood everywhere and just ruining the good occult horror vibe the film had going. Some other reviewers have drawn comparisons to From Dusk Til Dawn and yeah that does come to mind but Pale Door had absolutely none of the self aware, self deprecating humor which made that work. It's like there was one idiot producer involved who at the last minute decided, "it needs monsters, though." And they just shoe-horned in these absurd witch-zombies that I cannot get past. Shame on whoever thought that those noses had any place in a horror movie that was trying to take itself at all seriously.