The Gorge Review
The Gorge (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Scott Derrickson, written by Zach Dean, and starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu, William Houston, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and James Marlowe.
At first glance, The Gorge looks to deliver a perfectly edible two hours of mind-numbing science fiction horror. The plot is simple, the idea is fun, and the cast (on paper) should be able to deliver. But when the picture started and the very first credits began to roll, my modest aspirations burned away into a modern-day cynicism that clouds the film industry like stale cigar smoke. The Gorge is ground zero, Exhibit A, and all the other stupid euphemisms to describe exactly what is wrong with the current state of film.
But before any corporate takedown, a plot synopsis is needed!
The film follows two highly trained and highly mysterious military assassins, Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy with a brutal Eastern European accent), from opposite sides of the world. The kinds of military mercenaries even the government is hesitant to call on. Their new mission is to hold up in a sniper tower for the next 12 months and guard the gorge. A foggy, spooky rift in the world that is described by the exiting watchman as a “gateway to hell.” With Levi on one side (of course the American is named Levi) and Drasa on the other, it is only a matter of time before a heartfelt connection is made between the two killers.
Oh, and we can’t forget about Sigourney Weaver, who plays the high-ranking official that sends Levi to the gorge. She does her best with the material she is given, but I cannot say that for the rest of the cast, crew, or producing team.
I won’t spoil the film, but let’s just say it plays out exactly how you think it’s going to. Right down to the corny montages with music that doesn’t fit. The screenplay was written by Zach Dean, who may be feeling too comfortable in this genre to bring anything new to the table. With past titles like 24 Hours to Live, Fast X, and The Tomorrow War, The Gorge should be a layup for him, but instead we’re given stock characters and cringe-worthy dialogue. And that brings me to the crux of my issue when viewing the film: “Did anyone care?”
It’s safe to say the production team behind it didn’t. An Apple+ original film in conjunction with Skydance Media is about as corporate a team to fund a film as you will ever see. They could smell the tax write-offs a mile away. It’s hard to fathom the money Apple bleeds on a monthly basis through their overwhelmingly subpar streaming service, and Skydance Media is billionaire David Ellison’s toy to play with. Remember, Skydance was the team in talks to buy one of the last storied Hollywood studios in town, Paramount Pictures. If all this sounds like late-stage capitalist cynicism, then I’m glad you’re listening.
Because it’s what is happening behind the scenes that causes capable filmmakers like Derrickson to deliver this washed-out junk. It’s hard not to get aggravated as a viewer when you know the team making the film doesn’t care about you. Quality and artistry aren’t even in the backseat; they are gagged and stuffed in the trunk of the car as it speeds off a cliff toward their bottom lines.
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy are highly miscast and share about as much chemistry as two actors in a car commercial. Not that it matters, of course; they are household names with pretty faces. We just want to see them fall in love! Even Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross phoned in their work on the film. Quite possibly the most reliable working composers in Hollywood today dug up and churned out whatever was left on the Gone Girl cutting room floor for a score as forgettable as the film itself.
While The Gorge is a watchable enough movie, when you begin to peel back the layers that rot beneath the silver screen, it falls apart, and you’re left with another 7-day free trial you have to remember to cancel before being charged.
Rating: 3/10
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