The creature design for the Gatekeeper is inspired: a silent, tall humanoid whose face is a vertical slit of static. It doesn’t chase—it waits , forcing Lara to outthink it rather than outrun it.
Also, while Vikander is excellent, Lara’s emotional arc—grief turning into acceptance—feels rushed. One key monologue about “choosing to be the door, not the key” lands awkwardly. lara croft in the gatekeeper
In the latest chapter of the rebooted Tomb Raider saga, Lara Croft in The Gatekeeper attempts to blend the gritty, survivalist tone of the 2018 film with high-concept supernatural horror. Directed by Misha Green (known for Lovecraft Country ), this standalone adventure pits a more seasoned Lara against an ancient order protecting a dimensional threshold known as “The Gate.” The creature design for the Gatekeeper is inspired:
The mirror corridor sequence. The final 10 minutes (stay through the silent credits for a chilling audio cue). Skip it if: You dislike slow-burn horror or metaphysical endings. One key monologue about “choosing to be the
Green excels at dread. The monastery breathes—stone corridors shift when you’re not looking, and the sound design (footsteps echoing into impossible distances) is masterful. Lara (Alicia Vikander, fully committed) is no longer the frightened survivor; she’s a weary archaeologist with a moral code. One standout sequence sees her traverse a collapsing hall of mirrors while the Gatekeeper whispers her dead father’s voice—genuinely unnerving.
Is the entity a villain? Not exactly. The film smartly avoids making it a standard monster. It’s more like a force of nature: cold, fair, and terrifying. In the final confrontation, Lara doesn’t kill it. She negotiates with it by offering a memory she’s willing to lose. That’s bold, poetic, and very un-Croft-like—but it works.