Published Feb 4, 2026, 12:51 PM EST
Every so often, a title slips past the first-wave conversation and then quietly racks up momentum once enough people actually hit play. Apple TV’s unique slate is especially prone to this: movies can debut, get a quick burst of attention, and then re-emerge months later when the algorithm and word-of-mouth finally sync up.
That second-life effect tends to happen when a movie has an easy hook (sci-fi, monsters, romance, survival), a cast that pops on a thumbnail, and a premise you can explain in one sentence. Add a director with genre credibility and a “wait, how did I miss this?” vibe, and you get the kind of late-blooming traction that looks sudden on charts, even if it’s been building for weeks. This is exactly what seems to have happened with Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller’s action sci-fi that’s blowing up across streaming charts on Apple TV throughout the world right now.
The Gorge has surged across a long list (90+) countries this week, while sitting around the upper tier in major markets like the U.S. (hovering in the mid-single digits). The film currently holds a 6.8 IMDb score and 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the bigger story is that it’s behaving like a sleeper hit on the platform. As per FlixPatrol’s country-by-country charting, The Gorge, an early 2025 release, is holding #2 across a huge stretch of major markets (including the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Spain), while also sitting around #4 in the U.S. during the same weekly window. It’s even hit #1 in at least a few territories in the past week, cementing the multi-region surge broad and solid.
‘The Gorge’ Had a Streaming-First Launch Back in February 2025
The Gorge isn’t really a box office story in the traditional sense, because it was designed as an Apple TV streaming launch first. It had a limited theatrical release. On paper, it is built for binge-friendly discovery: two elite operatives are stationed on opposite sides of a mysterious ravine, grow close from a distance, and then have to work together once something dangerous rises from below. It’s equal parts sci-fi setup, creature-feature tension, and character chemistry, exactly the mix that keeps people watching once they click.
The film is directed by Scott Derrickson and pairs Taylor-Joy with Teller, both of whom have their own cult followings, thanks to their recent big-name movies and shows like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Offer. The chart surge only makes more sense in that context because this isn’t a perfect critics’ darling story so much as a high-concept, easy-to-try, hard-to-ignore streaming arc. Plus, the film’s ability to hook a viewer is priceless.
The Gorge is available to stream on Apple TV. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Release Date February 28, 2025
Runtime 127 Minutes
Director Scott Derrickson
Writers Zach Dean
English (US) ·