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It likely won’t satisfy older, seasoned horror fans, but “Portal Runner” is an interesting entry into the young-adult-oriented horror market.

Portal Runner, no relation to the PS2 game of the same name, is one strange beast of a film.

It is, at its core, a movie about parallel universes — a rather lofty sci-fi concept for a movie targeted at a younger demographic. And the subtle (and very not-so-subtle) ways in which it establishes the differences between said universes are rather fun.

When it comes to, ahem, portal running between realities, the film is somewhat enjoyable.

But…director Cornelia Duryee seems unwilling to commit to the other side of the coin, which is the horror element.

And hey, I get it. This is a movie targeted at kids. Can’t go all Insidious on them and keep the rating intact.

That being the case, I still have a hard time giving Portal Runner a pass since Psycho Goreman kind of established a precedent for what a younger-skewing horror movie could be.

Astute viewers may recognize lead actor Sloan Morgan Siegel from his Amazon Prime show Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street.

It’s always a gamble when all of the leads of a show are children, but I can legitimately say that Gortimer was quite entertaining. My kids watched it ad nauseam last summer, and I am a fount of Gortimer knowledge by proxy.

Sloan was wonderfully cast as the titular Gortimer. He has a rather self-effacing charm. This, coupled with his expressive face, can really help him shine.

He might be slightly older in Portal Runner, but those traits are still part of his repertoire. And he has no problem going all in with a role, from the silly to the serious.

Sloan was absolutely the correct choice to play Nolan, the lead in this film. (Hell, you know he’s bound for greatness…he goes by his full three names, a la Bryce Dallas Howard.)

Another standout is Elise Eberle, who plays Nolan’s older sister Mae. She’s not afraid to give her all to a character that, with someone less invested, could have come across as boring or ineffective. She sells the “older sister’s affectionate exasperation” very well.

I do not doubt that Eberle could more than hold her own in something much more dramatic or frightening.

The remaining cast is perfectly fine, though they are more plot devices than actual characters.

This is really Nolan & Mae’s story, so everyone else has reduced screen time. And although I never had siblings, I can appreciate how the movie tackled their love/hate relationship.

One of the things that the movie absolutely nails is the cold open.

Nolan, frantic and afraid, begins to construct traps out of household objects (though much more lethal than anything in the Home Alone franchise). He is trying, unsuccessfully, to fend off a mysterious intruder who warps through mirrors. Knives, cinder-block, firecrackers…Nolan gives it his all.

And at that moment, it seems like Portal Runner isn’t going to shy away from some grue.

Alas, that promise never does come to fruition. The rest of the movie is relegated more to a family drama affair, where the actual portal running is secondary to the character interactions. 

What really hampers the proceedings, however, is that none of the remaining scenes ever convey urgency or tension. Everything flows well together, so the editing is competent. But events just sort of…happen, without the sense of actual consequence.

On the technical front, everything is run-of-the-mill except for the effects, which are actually not half bad for this type of offering. The soundtrack is…well, it’s there. The cinematography, sound design, lighting, and costuming get the job done, but not in any spectacular fashion.

And the humor is very hit or miss. As I stated earlier, this is clearly targeted toward a younger audience, so I understand that I’m going to take away something different than a pre-teen viewer.

Ultimately, that’s the only age group I can see really getting into this movie.

In fact, Portal Runner is very similar in feel to the Goosebumps series from the 90s.

As in mid-budget, corny, and devoid of any true fright/danger. 

And that feels like a major misstep. But then again, maybe it’s just me being a child of the 70s/80s, where “kids” movies were still very effective at bringing the tension and/or scares.

Watcher in the Woods, anyone? Hello, The Dark Crystal; I’m talking to you.

At the end of the day, Portal Runner is a horror-lite affair for a younger crowd but certainly won’t spook anyone older than ten. I will always applaud folks who want to bring the scares to the littles in our lives, but when a movie lacks teeth, the effort feels a little in vain. 

Fans of Gortimer Gibbons will likely want to give Portal Runner a go since they are very similar in tone and stakes. 

For everyone else…watch at your own risk. 

Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 3

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