The Gorge

Starring: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu, William Houston
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction, Romance
2025

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two special operatives (Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy) accept a mysterious assignment to guard opposing sides of a deep gorge. What lies in the gorge is a terrible revelation, that changes everything for them.

Review:

Tim: Ugh, here we go again with yet another action adventure horror science fiction film that also has a lot of drama and romance. I'm kidding. The appeal of The Gorge is that you are wholly unprepared for what happens in this film. The best way to watch it is to go in knowing as little as possible. If you're reading this, you already know too much- stop reading, go watch, and then come back.

Crazy, right? Look, I'm not going to claim The Gorge is always good. However, I had literally no idea where it was going at any point in time. It starts out almost like a drama thriller with some mystery elements. Then, it goes into a full romance. Then, it dives deep into horror science fiction, before really embracing its adventure and action roots to close. This movie is a little of everything and I found that wonderful. I give Zach Dean an immense amount of credit for a truly unique, bizarre, unexpected script that kept me guessing and engaged from beginning to end. There's not quite anything like this movie out there.

I also want to praise director Scott Derrickson. I've enjoyed almost everything Derrickson has directed, and you can add The Gorge to his list. Now, to be fair, 4 out of the 7 movies I've seen have only been "good"- yet, he's a very consistent director who delivers worthwhile movies. This film is yet another in that category. I had a lot of fun with it, it kept me guessing- even when the script becomes so incredulous, even when too convenient or ridiculous things happen, Derrickson never loses the audience. He seems to know this is a B movie, but one he wants to have a lot of fun with. The joy of crafting this story on screen translates to the audience. This movie isn't always effective, but it's one wild journey that I enjoyed taking.

The cast helps immensely, chiefly Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. These two are among the top younger actors in Hollywood working today and at this point, have a track record of great films and impressive performances. You do wonder why they would sign onto this- The Gorge isn't a film that will likely help their career much, and too few people will have seen it, as it was released on Apple+. That being said, I like to think they enjoyed the script, their characters, and it gives them the chance to work with Derrickson. I think they both seize the opportunity and deliver strong performances that elevate the material. This never felt like a phone-in job, something they agreed to do for a paycheck. They seemed to really want the movie to work. Teller is clearly in the lead role, and I thought he was quite strong. He's believable in the role from a physical and action standpoint, but he makes a compelling romantic lead as well. He's funny and charismatic enough to make us care about his character. I was impressed by his performance here- it's better than you would expect for a movie like this. I do think Taylor-Joy is one of the most talented actresses working today. She has immense talent, so it did feel a little strange that she accepted this role. However, she actually gets to do quite a bit here. Her accept is believable, and she gets to showcase her abilities- she's funny, charismatic, quirky, and yet, a total badass. She absolutely crushes this role and you can't help but feel so impressed by her work in making this character memorable. Teller and Taylor-Joy are a powerhouse team together. I really enjoyed their interactions and banter. They have solid chemistry together and make a great team. That is one reason why this movie punches above its weight class- you get two excellent performances by Teller and Taylor-Joy.

Sigourney Weaver feels like an added bonus. She doesn't have a large role- it's just a few scenes, but you can't complain about getting to see her work. I enjoyed her performance and how she adds to the film. I also enjoyed the small role of Sope Dirisu. He only gets minutes on screen, but his line delivery felt perfect and he makes his scenes some of the better in the film.

It's hard to say too much about this film, because I don't want to spoil too much. It's such an interesting movie, though. You learn about these two different operatives who accept a mysterious mission to guard a gorge for an entire year, completely alone. They are told very little, except that they need to keep what's in the gorge from getting out. Those early scenes are cloaked in mystery. The film really hits a higher gear when Teller and Taylor-Joy's characters start interacting. These scenes are so much fun, and you just appreciate their performances as these two lonely people find a connection, across an immense expanse in this gorge. Then, the film hits its science fiction and horror phase, and you see these two in action. Those scenes are so unexpected, so thrilling, that you really get pulled into the mystery of the gorge and whether these two will survive. I didn't expect all the twists and turns, the excitement, the intensity of those bottom-of-the-gorge sequences. The whole thing feels a bit much- you will absolutely need to suspend your disbelief to a large extent here. For people who don't like the film, I could see why- the movie does give you multiple reasons to roll your eyes and throw your hands up in exasperation. However, for me, I was able to go along with the craziness because I had no idea what was going to happen next. It was so much fun to feel off-kilter, to be continually surprised by a movie. That doesn't happen much.

I do get the flaws that The Gorge has. While I really liked the movie, I'd only consider it "good" because of those shortcomings. This will never get close to my favorite films of 2025, but I will say it's one of the more pleasant surprises. I picked it because I was tired and wanted something I likely didn't need to engage too deeply in. And then, I effortlessly was compelled by the entire film. It's definitely one of the more surprising movies of 2025 and one I would recommend. I appreciate Teller and Taylor-Joy even more, and Derrickson delivers another worthwhile film in this weird, unexpected story.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Northman, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Deliver Us From Evil, Top Gun: Maverick, Bleed for This