Scott Derrickson, the mind behind The Black Phone and Sinister, returns with The Gorge—a film that dares to blend love, death, and a sci-fi-tinged battlefield into one explosive package. Apple TV+’s latest high-stakes thriller aims to fuse heart-pounding action with deep emotional stakes, but does it strike the right balance or fall into the abyss? 🌑💀
🎭 A Love Story Like No Other… with Snipers! 🔫💘
Unlike the usual romantic setup, The Gorge throws its lovers into a warzone—literally. Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) are elite assassins stationed on opposite sides of a massive, seemingly inescapable gorge, each sent to eliminate the other. 🎯🔫 The twist? Neither of them understands why they’re truly there. As they engage in an intense game of cat-and-mouse, their missions unravel, revealing a deeper, darker conspiracy that entraps them in an endless cycle of violence and rebirth. 🌀
🎬 Direction & Cinematography – Derrickson’s Vision vs. CGI Overload
Scott Derrickson, renowned for his ability to blend horror and tension, brings his usual dark, brooding atmosphere to The Gorge. But where The Black Phone used shadows and suspense to heighten fear, The Gorge relies on spectacle over subtlety. 🌪️
The gorge itself is a stunning, almost mythical landscape—a massive, seemingly endless chasm that isolates Levi and Drasa from the outside world. 🌄⛰️ Derrickson frames the terrain with breathtaking wide shots, capturing its vastness and suffocating presence. But the problem?
🔸 The film leans too much on CGI, dulling the realism—especially in action sequences where explosions and effects look more like a video game than a movie. 🎮💥
🔸 The night scenes feel over-stylized, drowning in shadows and digital blur rather than practical, immersive cinematography. 🌘
While some shots are hauntingly beautiful, the film would have benefited from a more grounded visual approach, blending practical effects with CGI instead of relying on heavy digital compositions.
📷 Cinematography Rating: ★★★☆☆
Verdict: Some breathtaking landscapes, but over-reliance on CGI detracts from immersion.
🎭 Acting – The Cast Elevates a Flawed Story
One of The Gorge’s strongest elements is its cast, particularly the two leads:
🔥 Miles Teller as Levi – The Charismatic Survivor
Teller nails the balance between hardened warrior and emotionally vulnerable survivor. His character, trapped in a cycle of death and resurrection, brings raw intensity to the screen. His frustration, desperation, and fleeting moments of hope feel real. If the film had a weaker lead, it would have fallen apart.
❄️ Anya Taylor-Joy as Drasa – The Enigmatic Counterpart
Taylor-Joy’s icy, detached performance works well for the mysterious Drasa, but at times, her chemistry with Teller feels uneven. While she shines in action sequences and delivers her signature sharp, haunting gaze, the emotional beats between the two don’t always land as powerfully as intended.
👑 Sigourney Weaver – The Scene-Stealing Veteran
Weaver appears in a crucial but underutilized supporting role as an enigmatic overseer of the gorge’s twisted reality. 🕶️ Her commanding presence adds weight to the story, though she doesn’t get enough screen time to truly impact the film’s emotional core.
🎭 Acting Rating: ★★★★☆
Verdict: Teller & Taylor-Joy deliver, but their chemistry isn’t always convincing. Sigourney Weaver? Always legendary.
🎵 Soundtrack – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Bring the Haunting Vibes
If there’s one flawless aspect of this film, it’s the soundtrack. 🎶🎛️
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—*the masterminds behind the soundtracks of The Social Network, Gone Girl, and Watchmen—deliver a score that is:
🔹 Eerie yet romantic – balancing electronic distortion with haunting orchestral swells.
🔹 Propulsive in action scenes – with industrial beats and glitchy synths intensifying every shootout.
🔹 Melancholic in emotional moments – heightening the film’s tragic undercurrents.
🎵 Music Rating: ★★★★☆
Verdict: Reznor & Ross never miss. The score is the film’s emotional backbone.
🔍 The Critic Breakdown – Did “The Gorge” Hit or Miss?
🔸 Rotten Tomatoes: 64% 🍅 (Critics split on ambition vs. execution)
🔸 Metacritic: 57 🟡 (Mixed reviews, but praise for performances)
🔸 IMDb: 6.8/10 🎭 (Users mostly positive but not blown away)
👀 Critics love the genre-bending ambition but slam the CGI-heavy execution.
📊 Final Ratings – The Good, the Bad, & the Unreal
🔥 Overall: ★★★☆☆ (A daring attempt with uneven execution)
🎭 Acting: ★★★★☆ (Strong leads, great chemistry)
📝 Story: ★★★☆☆ (Unique but a bit messy)
🎶 Music: ★★★★☆ (Reznor never misses)
🎬 Directing: ★★★☆☆ (Derrickson’s vision vs. CGI overload)
🎥 Cinematography: ★★★☆☆ (Some brilliant shots, some meh)
📣 Final Verdict – Should You Watch?
✅ YES – if you love genre mashups, moody cinematography, and big sci-fi action.
❌ NO – if bad CGI and weak love stories ruin a film for you.
The Gorge has a great concept and strong performances, but its execution falters. Worth a watch, but not a masterpiece. Watch for Teller, stay for Reznor’s music. 🎶🔥
