by Josh Sewell
Scott Derrickson is an intriguing director, mainly because of his curious filmography. Not all his projects are winners, but he’s responsible for one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen (Sinister), as well as a compelling religious thriller (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and a pretty decent Marvel flick (Doctor Strange). I like that he’s not content to always make the same kind of movie and isn’t in the business solely for a paycheck (he bowed out of the Doctor Strange sequel due to creative differences).
Derrickson’s latest film The Gorge, which hit Apple TV+ last week, might be his most interesting yet. Not because it’s the best (although it’s pretty good), but because it defies being placed into a single genre. There are horror elements, action sequences and a bit of sci-fi thrown in, but above all it’s a surprisingly effective romance.
The story revolves around Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), deadly accurate snipers assigned to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge. Tasked with protecting the world from a mysterious evil that lurks within, they end up bonding from a distance despite strict orders not to communicate with one another.
Derrickson’s latest film The Gorge, which hit Apple TV+ last week, might be his most interesting yet. Not because it’s the best (although it’s pretty good), but because it defies being placed into a single genre. There are horror elements, action sequences and a bit of sci-fi thrown in, but above all it’s a surprisingly effective romance.
The story revolves around Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), deadly accurate snipers assigned to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge. Tasked with protecting the world from a mysterious evil that lurks within, they end up bonding from a distance despite strict orders not to communicate with one another.
When an accident jeopardizes their mission, Levi and Drasa use their physical prowess to fend off a host of terrifying creatures within the gorge. At the same time, the duo must use their brains to discover the secrets of their new surroundings if they’re going to survive.
There are certainly some telltale signs The Gorge is a direct-to-streaming flick, primarily that the visual effects look straight out of a cheesy video game despite a substantial budget. It also falls into a common sci-fi trap: the premise falls apart if you start asking too many questions. If you pull at one loose thread, pretty soon the whole sweater comes apart.
However, despite its shortcomings, there are more than enough compelling elements to make The Gorge worth checking out. Foremost is the palpable chemistry between Teller and Taylor-Joy. For the first 30 minutes or so, the story is basically two solo shorts that weave in and out of each other. However, once Drasa is bored enough to get Levi’s attention, things turn into a weird, charming meet-cute for a little while.
Of course, despite being alone in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard for the couple to get too romantic when they’re forced to kill a bunch of CGI monsters with machine guns. But thanks to Teller’s smolder and Taylor-Joy’s dry sense of humor, even the green screen-heavy action sequences have emotional stakes. You want the couple to finish killing all the creatures so they can get back to flirting and making googly eyes at each other.
I don’t think anyone is going to argue that The Gorge is a future classic or anything, but there are just enough engaging elements to make me wonder what it would’ve been like to experience it on the big screen. At the very least it might’ve allowed the visual effects artists a little more time to address the shoddy CGI elements.
Large chunks of the film look like Teller and Taylor-Joy are just standing in front of a green screen holding a couple of props. Everything else looks fake. There’s also the fact that a few scenes are so dark it’s almost impossible to see what’s going on. Granted, that’s not a problem reserved for Apple TV+. The same complaint applies to most of the other movies and television shows across the spectrum of assorted streaming services.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned positives – as well as one more in the fun, scenery-chewing performance from Sigourney Weaver as the villain – outweigh the considerable drawbacks. If nothing else, it makes me want to see Teller and Taylor-Joy in a genuine romcom one day.
They both have strong comedic chops and either legitimately enjoy each other’s company or they’re good enough actors to fake it. Either is fine with me – I just want them to work together again. Probably not in a sequel to The Gorge, though. I think one movie in this world is enough.
The Gorge is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, some suggestive material and thematic elements. Now available on Apple TV+.
Grade: B-
There are certainly some telltale signs The Gorge is a direct-to-streaming flick, primarily that the visual effects look straight out of a cheesy video game despite a substantial budget. It also falls into a common sci-fi trap: the premise falls apart if you start asking too many questions. If you pull at one loose thread, pretty soon the whole sweater comes apart.
However, despite its shortcomings, there are more than enough compelling elements to make The Gorge worth checking out. Foremost is the palpable chemistry between Teller and Taylor-Joy. For the first 30 minutes or so, the story is basically two solo shorts that weave in and out of each other. However, once Drasa is bored enough to get Levi’s attention, things turn into a weird, charming meet-cute for a little while.
Of course, despite being alone in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard for the couple to get too romantic when they’re forced to kill a bunch of CGI monsters with machine guns. But thanks to Teller’s smolder and Taylor-Joy’s dry sense of humor, even the green screen-heavy action sequences have emotional stakes. You want the couple to finish killing all the creatures so they can get back to flirting and making googly eyes at each other.
I don’t think anyone is going to argue that The Gorge is a future classic or anything, but there are just enough engaging elements to make me wonder what it would’ve been like to experience it on the big screen. At the very least it might’ve allowed the visual effects artists a little more time to address the shoddy CGI elements.
Large chunks of the film look like Teller and Taylor-Joy are just standing in front of a green screen holding a couple of props. Everything else looks fake. There’s also the fact that a few scenes are so dark it’s almost impossible to see what’s going on. Granted, that’s not a problem reserved for Apple TV+. The same complaint applies to most of the other movies and television shows across the spectrum of assorted streaming services.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned positives – as well as one more in the fun, scenery-chewing performance from Sigourney Weaver as the villain – outweigh the considerable drawbacks. If nothing else, it makes me want to see Teller and Taylor-Joy in a genuine romcom one day.
They both have strong comedic chops and either legitimately enjoy each other’s company or they’re good enough actors to fake it. Either is fine with me – I just want them to work together again. Probably not in a sequel to The Gorge, though. I think one movie in this world is enough.
The Gorge is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, some suggestive material and thematic elements. Now available on Apple TV+.
Grade: B-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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