'The Gorge' Review: High Concept, Low Emotional Impact
I wanted to love Scott Derrickson’s The Gorge, streaming now on Apple TV+.
On paper, this is my kind of movie: A high-concept sci-fi action spectacle with a big mystery and a doomed romance at its center. Exactly the kind of swing-for-the-fences genre flick that, when done right, hits.
And for a while, I was into it. It’s got Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy doing what they do best; being super hot and charismatic, even when the material isn’t always working in their favor. And there’s a really fun, genuinely effective what-the-hell-is-happening-here energy to the first act that mostly kept me locked in.
But The Gorge starts to drag early on, the resolution to its mystery is more convoluted than profound, and it never really lands emotionally. And while the movie always looks cool, it doesn’t always feel as impactful as it should. It’s frustrating, because there’s a lot here to like, especially the two leads. But the deeper you get into it, the more you start wishing it was just a little bit better.
Teller and Taylor-Joy play two elite snipers stationed at opposite ends of a mysterious gorge, tasked with guarding something they don’t fully understand. Despite orders not to engage and a literal chasm of death standing between them, they fall for each other. Then things get weird.
That’s the foundation, but The Gorge isn’t just a sci-fi romance, it’s also a big, chaotic action movie with sci-fi and supernatural elements, existential dread, and some big swings in storytelling that are admirable, if not always effective.
The action is solid if uninspired. Derrickson knows how to stage a good set piece, but even some interesting creature designs and cool uses of color can’t elevate most of the action scenes above other CGI slop-packed would-be blockbusters. Luckily, the whole thing is scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose once again prove that they can elevate anything with their Vangelis meets Dust Brothers vibe.
But for all the effort that goes into making The Gorge feel grand, it never quite delivers any real emotional weight. Teller and Taylor-Joy are doing everything they can to sell this love story. They have chemistry. They look great together. They’re both naturally compelling performers who can hold the screen effortlessly. The problem is the script doesn’t give them much to work with. Their love story is built on empty romcom tropes and cute but dull dialogue instead of scenes that feel deep and personal. As a result, the love story at the center of the film feels unconvincing and shallow.
And that’s a problem when the entire point of the movie hinges on this connection being so intense, so undeniable, that it inspires our two sniper heroes to risk everything for each other. We needed longing. We needed yearning. We needed something that made us ache for these two to find their way to each other. Instead, we get a romance that feels like a romance simply because the story requires it to be one.
And then there’s Sigourney Weaver. She's s a legend, obviously. She can make almost anything watchable. But The Gorge gives her nothing to do. Once again, she’s playing a generic, evil authority figure whose motivations feel vague at best, and her scenes feel disconnected from the rest of the movie (see Marvel's The Defenders and The Cabin in the Woods). If you’re going to cast Sigourney Weaver, let her do something interesting. Otherwise, why even bother?
Look, I didn’t dislike The Gorge. I had fun watching it. It’s ambitious. It’s stylish. It’s got moments that really work. But it’s also frustrating, because there’s a version of this movie that really lands, and this isn’t quite it. It’s like watching someone take a big, impressive swing and just barely miss.
Would I recommend it? Sure, if you’re in the mood for a cool-looking sci-fi action movie with two great leads and some wild ideas, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect it to hit you in the solar plexus the way it clearly wants to.
And if you’re looking for a truly great sci-fi romance? Maybe revisit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Adjustment Bureau instead.
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