What happens when you throw snipers, mutant creatures, a shadowy government conspiracy, and a sprinkle of romance into a deep, mysterious gorge? You get The Gorge, a sci-fi action film that desperately wants to be The Last of Us meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith but somehow lands in the realm of Resident Evil’s less thrilling sequels.
Directed by Doctor Strange’s Scott Derrickson and starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver, The Gorge is an ambitious genre mashup that, unfortunately, feels like it was pieced together from the remnants of better movies.
But hey, at least it looks cool, right?
The Plot: A Mile Deep, An Inch Wide
Elite snipers Levi Kane (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) are stationed on opposite sides of an isolated gorge with one simple mission: guard it for a year without contact with the outside world—or each other. Easy enough, right? Well, not exactly.
Turns out, the gorge is home to horrifying, mutated creatures called The Hollow Men, and the entire site is wrapped in a top-secret government conspiracy involving a bioweapons research lab, a shady defense contractor, and a failsafe nuclear detonation plan ominously named “Straydog.”
What starts as a slow-burn game of lonely survival quickly turns into a sniper-flirting competition as Levi and Drasa begin secretly communicating with hand-written notes and sharpshooting duels.
Before long, they’re ziplining into enemy territory, baking rabbit pies, and—because nothing says romance like apocalyptic danger—parachuting straight into the gorge to uncover the lab’s dark secrets.
Naturally, their escape attempt spirals into chaos as they battle mutant creatures, dodge killer drones, and trigger the Straydog protocol, leading to a massive explosion that obliterates the entire site.
After a gut-wrenching separation and a dramatic five-day quarantine period, Drasa waits for Levi in a small French town, unsure if he made it out alive.
Just when she’s about to lose hope, he strolls into her restaurant, casually orders rabbit pie, and seals the deal with a kiss. Cue the credits.
The Verdict: More Style Than Substance
There’s no denying that The Gorge is visually stunning—its cinematography, helmed by The Shape of Water’s Dan Laustsen, delivers breathtaking landscapes and stylish action sequences.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also lend their signature eerie score, adding a layer of moody atmosphere. Unfortunately, all the technical finesse can’t save a script that leans too heavily on tired tropes and a romance that lacks real spark.
While the concept of two elite snipers falling for each other while fending off mutant monsters sounds like a wildly fun ride, the execution is disappointingly lifeless.
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, both usually fantastic actors, seem to be running on autopilot here—flirting with all the enthusiasm of people stuck in a forced team-building exercise.
The film desperately wants us to care about their love story, but instead of a sizzling, complex dynamic, we get two brooding assassins bonding over trauma in the most generic way possible.
Sigourney Weaver’s presence as the film’s shadowy recruiter adds some gravitas, but even she can’t elevate a plot that feels like it was cobbled together from Call of Duty cutscenes and abandoned Black Mirror scripts.
And don’t even get us started on the Hollow Men—these so-called terrifying monsters are about as scary as a pile of twigs with glowing eyes.
So, is The Gorge worth watching? If you’re in the mood for a visually sleek, mildly entertaining sci-fi thriller that requires minimal emotional investment, then sure—go for it.
But if you’re looking for a gripping, well-crafted romance or a sci-fi story with real depth, you might want to rappel your way out of this one.
Apple TV+ has given us some hidden gems, but The Gorge feels more like an overproduced tech demo than a memorable cinematic experience.
Final Score: 5/10 – Beautiful, but hollow (just like its monsters).
[Watch the official trailer below]
