The Gorge: A Fun but Flawed Sci-Fi Adventure

I just watched The Gorge on Apple TV+, and I have to say, it’s a weird mix of sci-fi, action, and romance that somehow works—mostly. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film follows two elite snipers stationed on opposite sides of a mysterious chasm, assigned to kill anything that tries to cross. It’s got a solid cast with Anya Taylor-Joy, Miles Teller, and Sigourney Weaver, and while it doesn’t quite hit the heights it’s aiming for, it’s still a fun ride.

Anya Taylor-Joy continues her streak of taking on wildly different roles, jumping from horror to period dramas to whatever The Gorge is. She plays Drasa, a Lithuanian mercenary, and while she does a good job, it’s not the most memorable role she’s had. She’s still great to watch, but the script doesn’t give her much to work with beyond being tough and mysterious.

Miles Teller is proving himself to be more than just the guy from Whiplash or Top Gun: Maverick. As Levi, a former Marine sniper with a messy past, he brings a mix of cocky and conflicted that keeps him interesting. He and Taylor-Joy have decent chemistry, even if the romance angle feels a bit forced at times.

Then there’s Sigourney Weaver. It’s almost impossible to see her in a sci-fi movie and not think about Alien. It’s unfair, but it happens. She plays Bartholomew, the government agent running the whole sniper experiment, and while she’s still got that commanding presence, the film itself doesn’t give her much to do. The second she shows up, The Gorge starts feeling like it wants to be something more iconic than it actually is, and it just can’t get there.

The film tries to add some “deep” meaning by weaving in poetry, particularly T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men. It’s one of those touches that makes it seem like the movie is trying harder than it needs to. The poetry doesn’t add much, and honestly, it just feels like a way to make the story seem more meaningful than it actually is.

The biggest letdown for me was the setting. The Gorge itself should feel eerie and overwhelming, but instead, the sets look a bit generic and uninspired. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t stand out either. For a movie that spends so much time in one location, that’s a bit of a problem.

One of the more interesting themes running through The Gorge is the idea of isolation and how it shapes people. Drasa and Levi are stuck in this strange, desolate environment, and the movie plays with the tension between their solitude and their need for connection. They are essentially two lone wolves who find themselves forced into an uneasy alliance, and as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that their isolation has made them both emotionally guarded. The film doesn’t always dig as deep as it could into this, but the moments where it does work add a nice layer of complexity to their relationship.

That said, I still had a good time watching it. The action is solid, the cast is fun, and even with all its flaws, The Gorge is entertaining. It’s not a game-changer, and it definitely falls short of the movies it wants to be compared to, but if you’re in the mood for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s worth checking out.