The Gorge is a strong addition to the Apple TV+ movie catalog. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy make this the perfect Valentine’s Day date night movie.
Apple TV+ is giving everyone an option this Valentine’s Day weekend by releasing a film starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Gorge. The streaming platform is known for its hit TV shows but has struggled to capture audiences’ attention with its films. Does The Gorge change that narrative? Is the film worthy of checking out this holiday weekend? I share my thoughts on the film and let you know.
The Gorge follows two highly trained operatives appointed to guard tower posts on opposite sides of a highly classified gorge. They must protect the world from a mysterious evil that lurks within and work together to keep the secret in the gorge. The film is directed by Scott Derrickson (Black Phone) and written by Zach Dean (The Tomorrow War). On paper, this has the potential to be a solid film because of the high-concept script, strong leads, and Derrickson behind the camera. Personally, it didn’t disappoint either because all the dots connect from the opening credits to the end.
The Story of The Gorge
When Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) are put into their guard towers, you can see the duo living out their shifts in this small secluded area. Levi struggled with many things from his past, causing the small quarters to get to him a little more than Drasa. But as things come together, you see the duo begin to connect. They had binoculars and would write notes on large pieces of paper to convey messages. It was a charming little back and forth that led to dancing, laughing, and even shooting.
One night, Levi decides to head over to Drasa’s side of the post so they can be together. Everything goes according to plan, but upon attempting to make it back to his side, Levi’s rope ride crashes, leading him down to the bottom of the gorge. This leads Drasa to head down to find him and them battling their way through these alien-like creatures.
The Gorge starts somewhat slowly, but when you see this relationship between Levi and Drasa develop, you can’t help but be invested in what is ahead for them. It’s such an uncharacteristic love story that you root for it immediately after watching the banter between our two leads.
Speaking of those leads, Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy had impeccable chemistry. Nowadays, we see many forced relationships on screen that cause the rest of the film to falter. The whole “we are the only two here, so we might as well do something” doesn’t always work, but Teller and Taylor-Joy effortlessly deliver. The foundation of the pairing starts with this comedic tone from miles apart that develops as the film progresses brilliantly. Much credit to Zach Dean’s writing, but more so to Teller and Taylor-Joy for making it believable.
The runtime is one of the more prominent complaints about the film. This is a streaming movie (more on that in a moment), and with a wide variety of options for audiences, they might be put off by this and turn on something else. However, I am here to let you know if you are on the fence about watching this movie, power through those little moments because it is worth it.
As for the streaming movie aspect, this would’ve played outstanding on the big screen. With the dark premise (beautiful color palette), action sequences, and larger-than-life world-building, I would’ve loved to have seen this in IMAX. I understand that we need streaming movies, and that is perfectly fine, but this is a theatrical movie that should’ve been released in theaters.
Director Scott Derrickson isn’t new to shooting large action sequences (just look at Doctor Strange), but his unique POV in how this is shot, building the story of Drasa and Levi, was shot to perfection. That said, when we were inside the gorge, you felt his dominating presence behind the lens. You felt the claustrophobic nature of the battles that our leads were facing, and how he shot them was reminiscent of his direction in horror movies. How he was able to bring that lower-budget feel to this high-budget film was a massive highlight for me.
Overall, The Gorge is a can’t miss movie this holiday weekend. Even if you find yourself heading to the theaters, come home and turn on The Gorge. It’s the perfect balance Valentine’s Day date night movie. You have action, love, a shirtless Miles Teller; what more could you want? Everyone would walk away happy. Regardless of the slow start, the chemistry between Teller and Taylor-Joy and Derrickson’s direction makes you completely forget about those first twenty minutes.
The Gorge is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, on the Apple TV+ website.
You might also like…
‘I’ve Never Wanted Anyone More’ Is a Love Letter to a Love Story (Film Review)