The Gorge captured my attention through sheer word of mouth. People on Twitter were talking about it, it was one of the top-streamed movies this year on Apple TV, and of course all the wonderful GIFs I kept seeing of Anya Taylor-Joy being an absolute movie star. Usually all it takes for me to see a movie is having Anya Taylor-Joy on the cast, but what instantly made this a must-watch is finding out that it’s a Scott Derrickson film. Derrickson has a pretty decent track record as a director, and I’ve enjoyed nearly everything he’s put out, even lesser known films like Deliver Us from Evil.
It’s always great to have all the expectations you have of a film pan out in a wonderful way, and this is the case with The Gorge. I expected to enjoy it but didn’t think that I would adore it quite to this extent. In an entertainment climate when art is being reduced to content fodder, it’s so refreshing to get such a well-made movie with a fairly original concept, though it does visually borrow from sci-fi films that have come before. Somehow, I don’t care that maybe all the parts don’t work quite as well together, I just know I had a blast and found myself still thinking about the movie hours later.
The Gorge begins with Levi Kane (Miles Teller) being hired for a top-secret possibly government job. All he knows is that his skills as a top-tier sniper are required for a year, but doesn’t know where nor the nature of the job. When he arrives, after being drugged and given a vague map that gives no clues as to where he is geographically, his predecessor J.D (Sope Dirisu) fills him in on the nature of the job. He’s to make sure that the creatures which emerge from the gorge are quickly eliminated. They must never make it to the surface, and he needs to do whatever it takes to keep the gorge contained. Levi’s all alone in the West Tower, but there is someone else on the East Tower doing the same job, Taylor-Joy’s Drasa. While the contract explicitly states no contact with the other side, their mutual loneliness eventually leads to them throwing caution to the wind, as they communicate through big, bold words on paper and whiteboard akin to Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me music video.
Credit must be given to the actors here, as they make these shared moments between their characters so heartwarmingly beautiful. The reactions to each message read, Levi’s gesture of love during the cold winter season, their chemistry and attraction are palpable despite the gorge that separates them. Even as the threat of what’s below them in the gorge lingers, we’re invested in their relationship and togetherness. We want them to survive and find a way to be with each other, no matter what it takes. Building their relationship is an important facet of the story; if the audience doesn’t believe or root for these characters and their love, then the rest of the story would fail. So I appreciate the time Derrickson spends really fleshing out these characters, as well as the wonderful moments of romantic chemistry that is choreographed to perfection when they do meet.
Taylor-Joy is truly a standout. Her physicality as Drasa is fantastic – so lithe and graceful, almost like a ballet dancer always leaping into action. Each time she risks her own life for Levi, it’s all instinct and no hesitation, and it’s really because of her that the love story between them feels so real and beautiful. Teller does well as the sweet and sensitive Levi, who has a soft heart despite the brutal violence of his job. It’s like watching a beating heart suddenly come to life again, as we see him become a man reborn the more he falls in love with Drasa.
Critics might find fault with the latter parts of the movie, since we move quickly from romance to dystopian sci-fi territory as the secrets of the gorge are revealed. These parts of the film are reminiscent of Annihilation, both in concept and visually as well, so it won’t win points here for originality. The creature design is hauntingly horrifying, and my only gripe is that I wish we had more time to be truly immersed in the worldbuilding of the gorge since so much of it is well-done.
The Gorge is ambitious and for the most part I think it succeeds in melding all its parts together. Certainly one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and yes there haven’t been many, but I do think I’ll still be thinking about it when we reach the end of this year.
REVIEW SCORE: 4/5
