Decent FX can’t save this average sci-fi flick which chooses to focus more on romance than the intriguing horrors of the chasm.
PLOT: Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. They bond from a distance while trying to stay vigilant in defending against an unseen enemy. When the cataclysmic threat to humanity is revealed to them, they must work together in a test of both their physical and mental strength to keep the secret in the gorge before it’s too late.
REVIEW: After Miles Teller’s massive 2022 with Top Gun Maverick and Paramount Plus’s The Offer, he took a bit of a break. Now he’s coming back onto the scene, teaming up with Anya Taylor Joy to give us a Sci-Fi Action film from Doctor Strange‘s Scott Derrickson. In The Gorge, Joy and Teller are tasked with keeping watch over a mysterious chasm, and keep the evil creatures within from escaping. Because if the gates of Hell open up, it’s always smarter to just have two people making sure they don’t get out. Who needs an army when you’ve got two ridiculously good looking people?
Anya Taylor Joy is fantastic in everything she does, so I’ll always show up for any film she leads. I was intrigued by Drasa in that she’s clearly someone that doesn’t let people get close, so its interesting that she would open up to someone that’s nearly inaccessible. Miles Teller’s Levi has much less characterization and feels like more of a conduit for the viewer. But I didn’t really buy their love story. As much as I wanted to get invested in their relationship, it’s not really developed well. Drasa immediately feels like she’s in some kind of dating show and not the serious situation that they’re actually in. They bond in a way that feels very forced, which given the distance, makes it all the more artificial.
There are really only three characters we’re introduced to outside of our leads and each is as basic as the next. Sigourney Weaver shows up as the mysterious head of the organization, similar to what we’ve seen her play before. We get a look at the man Levi took over for, though no sign of the person Drasa stepped in for. This could have worked if Levi and Drasa were stronger characters but the narrative is entirely reliant on the actor’s charisma versus actually giving them something interesting to work with.
It makes sense as to why Levi would be sent to the Gorge, as he has some kind of issue that took him off missions. But Drasa showcases an insane level of skill with a gun, making it a bit baffling as to why they wouldn’t keep her on more important missions away from the gorge. Because as important as they make these babysitting duties out to be, the fact that there are only two people to contend with protecting the world from the evil within, makes it feel a bit silly. Maybe install full blown teams on each side, so that there aren’t such obvious weak moments like when they have to sleep. And I was constantly broken out of the reality of the situation when we see how far away they are from each other, and how much they then appear to see each other without even the use of their binoculars.
The action is where The Gorge finally comes to life, providing us some pretty cool looking monsters. They reminded me a bit of Infected from The Last Of Us and the CGI used is mostly strong. It lost me a bit when I logically thought through the concept of how they’re defending against these creatures. But if you can turn your brain off, I’m sure there’s more fun to be had with it. Once there’s a change of location, the CGI backdrops can be a bit off but individual creatures still look good.
I’m really not sure what to make of Scott Derrickson as a director. There are elements of his work that I like but his sensibilities constantly clash with my own. I’m not sure it’s ever been more obvious than the montage of Levi and Drasa having a drum battle. It’s such a colossally stupid act that I couldn’t believe was actually happening. Part of me thinks it was trying for a Fury Road moment, where the score and the percussion on-screen combines for this glorious cacophony of energetic beats. Instead, it’s more likely to elicit laughter from the audience.
The score comes from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross but its hardly even noticeable. Usually their scores are instantly recognizable but they never really get a chance to properly cook. If anything, it’s all the licensed music that stands out, as it completely clashes with the sci-fi world. Ultimately, The Gorge feels very “been there, done that.” It probably could have worked quite well as a limited series, where the more human moments have time to breathe and the world building has more time to flex itself. As is, the story feels very stereotypical, the characters one-dimensional, and a love story that doesn’t really work. Just when it feels like they’re going to take a unique step, they instead just walk a familiar path at every turn. While the concept was intriguing, this will likely be lost in the cinematic chasm of new releases.
THE GORGE IS PREMIERES GLOBALLY ON APPLE PLUS ON FEBRUARY 14TH, 2025.
