The Gorge

AppleTV+’s latest exclusive high-profile film is Scott Derrickson’s The Gorge. It follows Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Levi (Miles Teller), two world-class snipers who may be on different sides of The Gorge but share one mission: to protect people from whatever lurks within. The premise alone intrigued me—two towers, a self-protecting mechanism, and an unknown danger deep beneath — while the trailer had me hooked. And for about half of the movie, I got exactly what I was promised. When the story truly leans into its concept, it delivers something genuinely compelling. The first 50 minutes are genuinely compelling, focusing on the dangers of The Gorge while linking the two sides of the tower thematically and narratively.

The film quickly establishes itself as cold and distant tonally, with its setting enhancing this. I also quite enjoyed how the characters were initially portrayed as guarded and detached before their clear yearning for warmth becomes evident. What makes their dynamic compelling is how they find this warmth in each other. Alas, this dynamic ultimately becomes the film’s downfall. After a certain point, the focus shifts so drastically that it feels like two different ideas crammed into one movie. While watching Drasa and Levi interact is entertaining thanks to the strong chemistry between Taylor-Joy and Teller, the more the film centers on their relationship, the weaker it becomes. The characters and the actors’ performances are great, but the story loses sight of its core premise and tension. It’s as if Hereditary shifted into an Anyone but You-esque quirky rom-com halfway through while still retaining Ari Aster’s dark atmosphere. The transition feels unnatural and unfitting.

Sadly, the film never recovered from its tonal whiplash, with its ending being particularly disappointing. Narrative beats were rushed, with some moments being so logically inconsistent that I was completely taken out of the story and some of the characters’ actions being simply too far-fetched to remain believable. The story and characters needed more time to develop a fitting conclusion, but the script falls short.

Taylor-Joy and Teller nonetheless are a bright spot in this film. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they make a great team when they share the screen. Even though their dynamic takes up too much of the film at the expense of the overarching narrative, I still enjoyed watching them. Both actors bring out their characters’ underlying need for love, delivering the strong performances you’d expect for performers of their caliber.

From a technical standpoint, it's clear that incredibly talented people were involved. The score, composed by award-winning duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, is excellent and perfectly suits the film’s cold tone. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen delivers some stunning shots, and while the number of sets is limited, the production design is solid. My biggest gripe lies with the visual effects—when the mysterious creatures finally appear, they are underwhelming. The CGI in certain key moments is disappointing and unfortunately detracts from the overall experience.

I was ultimately let down by The Gorge The premise, cast, and crew had immense potential, but the film sadly wound up mediocre. While it has its moments, it will likely be forgotten quickly.

6/10