Beyond the Gates

Reserved and estranged from his hometown, Gordon returns to help clear out his missing father’s belongings. He is driven by a desire to save his father’s soul and to protect his brother and Margot from the escalating danger. His past drink-related incident informs his cautious but determined approach to the game.

A carefree, impulsive brother who drifts with Hank and often drags Gordon into trouble. He shows loyalty to his brother even as he chases reckless thrills, including stealing the dagger used to start the game. His actions pull the brothers deeper into the mystery and its consequences.

Gordon’s girlfriend who joins the brothers in confronting the game’s dangers. She is practical and curious, pushing the group to seek answers at Elric’s store and challenging the game’s hold on them. She becomes entangled in the in-game identities, including the Maiden.

A drifter who hangs around the group and harasses Margot, adding tension to the evening’s activities. His presence accelerates the sense that the game brings danger into the real world and disrupts fragile relationships.

A police officer friend who investigates the tape and tries to help, only to be pulled into the game’s peril. He becomes a dramatic, skeptical counterpoint to the supernatural events and meets a shocking fate.

A peculiar occult storeowner who explains the game’s rules and hints that the game returns every few years. He embodies the lure and danger of forbidden knowledge and remains enigmatic about the true cost of winning.

The mysterious voice guiding the players through the tape, seemingly aware of their lives and choices. Her presence distorts reality, and her final words urge the brothers to focus on the living rather than the dead.

The brothers’ missing father whose soul is threatened by the game. His heart is literally severed in the process of saving his soul, underscoring the film’s themes of sacrifice and familial obligation.