Conspiracy theorists and Resident Evil fanatics, rejoice! Super weird, wildly fun survival horror thriller The Gorge has arrived, housing the pedigree of director Scott Derrickson and lead actors Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy deep beneath its massive fissure. As two loners stranded on opposing sides of a monstrous chasm stationed at a mystery locale, a love story begins to form, made all the more believable thanks to Taylor-Joy and Teller. The design of the monsters at hand also captivates, as the mystery box elements slowly unravel. Boldly creative and endlessly thrilling, The Gorge stands guard over fiendish creature feature madness and a surprisingly tender romance.
It does not take long to establish the status quo for both of our leads. Separately, we are introduced to each of them just enough to care when they finally take their posts manning the gorge. First up is Drasa, a highly skilled sniper we meet in the throes of assassinating her latest target. Levi seems to be a different beast entirely—haunted by his time as an elite sniper that killed well over 100 targets, he has nothing in the way of connections with others. He drinks himself practically to blackout just to sleep at all.
Bartholomew (Sigourney Weaver) begs for Levi’s help with a new mission. The rules are also laid out blankly before us: Levi and Drasa must sit watch at their separate towers to “stop what’s in the gorge from coming out:” They are forbidden from communicating with one another, and must spend a full year being self-sufficient. At their disposal are separate towers powered by solar energy with a backup generator, rain system, wild game for food, a sprawling garden, and defense systems. The outside world is closed off completely—the gorge itself will not even show up on radar. Levi and Drasa take over from a previous set of watchers, advised to make sure the mysterious “Hollow Men” do not invade.
Drasa and Levi begin silently communicating with one another from afar, via giant notepads. A casual flirtation has been launched with the help of telescopes and notepads! Birthday celebrations and shooting competitions between the two are only interrupted violently by those Hollow Men attempting to scale the walls. Derrickson injects action horror into the first act quite subtly. Despite the brief bursts of frenetic gunplay, the romance feels genuine and compelling. As their bond blossoms, Levi devises a way to actually come face to face using the mechanisms left behind from his side of the gorge.
The script from Zach Dean allows us to grow closer with these characters through organic interactions. By the time the freaky monsters show up, the rom-com elements are able to naturally blend with the narrative. Creature design strays into familiar territory for fans of survival horror video games, or films such as Annihilation and The Ritual. The baddies here have a serious mean streak that provide their own flavor of horror. From the Hollow Men on horseback to the disgusting human-insect hybrids lurking in the trees, the grotesque designs are pure nightmare fuel. When Levi and Drasa uncover the disturbing truth behind the gorge, it actually adds a layer of intrigue to an already stellar premise.
Taking things further, the final act is packed with explosive set pieces: sniper battles, desperate hand-to-hand fights against inhuman horrors, and a final, chaotic showdown. Derrickson’s tight direction keeps the tension high, making every bullet count. To an extent, the combination of disparate genre-twisting elements may come across as a greatest hits package of sci-fi, horror, action, and romance. Here, that formula soars, leading to pulse-pounding suspense. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy make for a heroic dream coupling in subversive, over-the-top treat The Gorge.
Explore the overgrown mysteries housed within The Gorge, launching onto Apple TV+ on Friday, February 14th.
