The Gorge

Sometimes, actors are so compelling that they can almost make you overlook a film’s flaws and just go with it. That is the case with The Gorge, a movie with an intriguing premise but poor execution, one that never fully capitalizes on its potential but is elevated by two incredibly charismatic leads with fantastic chemistry. By far, its strongest moments are the ones that simply let Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller interact, even from a distance.

The film casts them as snipers stationed on opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. They do not know much about it, only that they are there to monitor it, ensure nothing escapes, and, crucially, avoid any contact with each other (good thing for the movie that they do not follow that rule).

For a while, we watch as they communicate in secret, scribbling messages in a notebook, using binoculars to read each other’s words. Thanks to the actors’ sheer strength, these scenes work beautifully, all while the mystery of their assignment and the gorge itself builds in the background. The first act is particularly effective at setting up suspense and peppering in eerie details. It’s a little unfortunate that Teller’s character gets too much information from the previous guard early on; holding back more of those details could have made later reveals hit harder.

Inevitably, the movie reaches the point where the characters have to venture into the gorge, and that is where it loses some of its spark. The creature designs are effective, though they feel derivative, a mix of Lord of the Rings’ Ents, the cursed Pirates of the Caribbean crew, and Game of Thrones’ White Walkers. And while the buildup is strong enough to keep us intrigued by what they will find down there, the film is too quick to hand out answers, leaving nearly half its runtime without much mystery left to unravel.

Worse, there is no real urgency to their time inside. The film could have easily introduced a sense of pressure, like a mandatory radio check-in that forced them to complete their mission within a few short hours. Instead, they seem to have all the time in the world, which drains the tension. Both the action and horror elements are serviceable at best, with director Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister, The Black Phone) failing to deliver a standout setpiece or a proper scare. The creatures, too, feel generic and not truly menacing.

By the time The Gorge reaches its climax, it feels underwhelming, almost anticlimactic, with some cliched character beats dragging it down further. It is frustrating because all the right ingredients are here: an intriguing premise, a capable director, and two fantastic leads who could have carried an entire movie on their chemistry alone. But instead of building on that strength, the film dilutes its efforts with uninspired action, rushed reveals, and a lack of urgency, turning what could have been something special into a forgettable experience. Honestly, I would have preferred a movie that was just the two snipers talking, that is where The Gorge truly comes alive.

At a glance

2.5/5

Mixed

#167 of 256 in 2025 Movies RankedSee the ranking →

Where to watch

Apple TV

Where to watch

Apple TV

Trailer

Play trailer

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