'The Gorge' Review: Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller Divide and Conquer in Ridiculous & Romantic Monster Mash-Up

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Movie Reviews

Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in 'The Gorge'

The Gorge is what I like to call a madlibs movie. It's like someone took all the most ridiculous ideas a movie could have and put them into one film. Although I would be the first to crack jokes at this, it's also a surprisingly enjoyable ride. The story follows two elite snipers — a former Marine from the U.S. (Miles Teller) and a Lithuanian assassin based in Russia (Anya Taylor-Joy) — who are assigned to a remote and mysterious base built around World War II. Their mission is to stay for a year, guarding the vast, cavernous gorge between them. The bases are armed to the teeth and all we are told, initially, is that their job is to keep what is inside the gorge from coming out.

Now, which direction would you think a story like this might proceed? If you said in the direction of a fully-fledged rom-com, you'd be right! Predictably (or unpredictably, I guess) the two attractive snipers fall in love across the gorge from each other, exchanging notes written on boards à la Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video and reading them through super zoom binoculars. Where else might you expect this story to go after that? Well, if you said an action-packed, video game-like shoot-out, you'd be right too! And although The Gorge is far from peak cinema, with a wealth of issues that would take far too long to talk about, it still manages to be a silly, popcorn movie that is reminiscent of the mid-budget movies of the '00s.

'The Gorge's Concept Is Absolutely Absurd

I won't get into any big spoilers, but you should know that The Gorge is written by Zach Dean, the same man who wrote Fast X and The Tomorrow War and will be penning the script for Fast XI. With that in mind, it shouldn't surprise anyone that as The Gorge unfolds, it goes from one extreme to the next, climbing up the rungs of the genre ladder, from sci-fi mystery to potential apocalypse. I will say that the concept of two snipers falling in love via writing notes to each other — with one of them going so far as to write a poem for the other — is surprisingly welcome when it comes to an action movie. There are mild Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibes in the way Anya Taylor-Joy's Drasa and Miles Teller's Levi compete with and tease each other while being threatened by monsters from the deep.

Custom image of Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy for The Gorge interview

There are some silly moments, like how they seem to be perfectly timed to look at each other whenever the other is peering through binoculars despite being very far apart. Generally, though, Drasa and Levi's romance is what actually makes The Gorge interesting. Otherwise, it's just a painfully predictable action film. The mystery inside the titular gorge is far less interesting than you think, and instead of going extremely weird and experimental, the story takes the path of least resistance.

The most unpredictable moments — and the ones that are surprisingly charming — come in the first half of the film during Drasa and Levi's flirtation. But it feels like two movies. One is about a burgeoning romance between two people who are meant to be enemies, and the other follows a secret place with an inexplicable mystery that no one seems to have an answer to. The Gorge seeks to answer the questions, but rather than keeping some of the mystery alive, it's tied up in a neat bow that feels almost lazy considering the scale of the mystery that's being kept.

'The Gorge' Doesn't Take Any Risks and Gives the Game Away Too Early

Anya Taylor-Joy, running through the woods, as Drasa in 'The Gorge'

This leads me to my main gripe with the movie. It's far, far too predictable. From the shady Sigourney Weaver to a death that happens far too early in the movie, you can see where the wind is blowing about a half hour into this 127-minute movie. I was never once curious about what was at the bottom of the gorge, because anyone who watches movies regularly can put together the pieces in an instant. The clues are all there and rather than trust the viewer to put things together, every answer is spoon-fed with a convenient out to ensure the characters make it to the next checkpoint. And, in many ways, The Gorge often feels like a video game. But this is far from a compliment. Certain scenes feel almost like formulaic gameplay sequences where characters go from a cut scene into action mode. Injuries are overcome quickly, impossible feats suddenly become possible, and there's no way out until there suddenly is one when you get to a new location.

The thing is, there is a world where The Gorge could have been a cult classic movie. It could still retain its odd little genre blend, the quirky romantic scenes, the not-so-subtle callbacks to The Queen's Gambit and Whiplash, and also be a movie that gains a following. But it's too earnest when it doesn't need to be, and then not earnest enough when it's actually important. Every opportunity for The Gorge to be weirder or wilder or take the road less traveled, it rejects. In opting for the safe choice, The Gorge ends up feeling somewhat exhausting by the 80% mark, and you're just waiting for the inevitable conclusion, hoping for a change that will never come.

'The Gorge' Suceeds in Action Stunts, SFX, and Decent Actor Chemistry

Okay, so I've dumped on this movie a little, but that doesn't mean I still didn't have a fun time watching it. What does work in The Gorge is the action scenes. Full of explosions, bullets, and badass moves, it's obvious that director Scott Derrickson knows his way around an action scene — though there's some bizarre swiveling camera work that is far too jarring. There were moments when I wished the movie was a full-blown video game so I could fully explore the terrain and the different nooks and crannies of the movie. As the movie progresses, the environment changes from dark and muted to bright and colorful and a rich palette does make the film feel visually engaging. Similarly, the special effects for the monsters in this movie are fun. Reminiscent of clickers from The Last of Us, there's an apt ick factor mixed with fairly effective horror (which is no surprise given Derrickson's familiarity with the genre).

Finally, what saves this movie is Taylor-Joy and Teller. Though their in-person scenes aren't nearly as endearing as their scenes with each other across the gorge, the two do have great chemistry. They're interesting to watch together, especially during their action scenes. Taylor-Joy is hindered by an awkward accent and Drasa is perhaps too trusting and warm for a Russian assassin. Teller is a bit too all-American and in some scenes I half expect him to tip his cowboy hat and nod "ma'am," while Levi's PTSD is not only inconsistent but conveniently seems to fade away despite being a somewhat large subplot of the film.

But, when the two characters are quipping with each other or fighting back-to-back, it's easy to ignore the unpolished edges of the movie. At the end of the day, no one was going into The Gorge expecting a theatrical masterpiece. But, if you're looking for a popcorn Valentine's movie, one that is seemingly tailor-made for the average couple with equal helpings of romance and action (even with a few jump scares so you can hide in your loved one's arms), then you need look no further.

The Gorge

Predictable, silly, and tackling too much at once, 'The Gorge' is a fun popcorn movie, but not much more than that.

Release Date February 28, 2025

Runtime 127 Minutes

Director Scott Derrickson

Writers Zach Dean

Cast

Pros & Cons

Decent chemistry between its two leads, Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller.
Fun action scenes and good special effects for the monsters.

The storyline gives far too much away early in the movie, making it predictable.
The concept is ridiculous, but the story doesn't go as weird as it should or take any risks.

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