Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy generate true heat and chemistry in Scott Derrickson’s excellent genre mashup The Gorge.
The Gorge is the rare genre mashup where everything aligns perfectly to give us a big-budget thrilling action-adventure. But the secret sauce is the chemistry between stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Rarely do we get films that dare to mash up genres the way The Gorge does. Part action thriller. Part sci-fi horror. Part romance. All rolled up in a glossy package that recalls those films of the 80s and 90s that were constantly surprised with their twists and turns. The Scott Derrickson-directed film is rarer still – an original big-budget blockbuster that’s not based on some existing IP or source material.
Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) are government operatives each given a mysterious job. To man a guard tower on opposite sides of a mist-filled gorge. The rules are simple: protect the gorge and no contact with the other tower. It is only a matter of time until Levi and Drasa begin to communicate and form a bond one that is stronger than rules. As rules are broken and the two are put into an extraordinary situation that will require both of their skill sets if they are to survive the unimaginable within the gorge.
What may surprise many will be the romance and heat produced by leads Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. The Gorgeis almost old-fashioned in its “character” first approach to the event film. The first third of the film allows Teller and Taylor-Joy to play against one another building a relationship without any dialog. It’s a conceit that works to Teller and Taylor-Joy’s strengths as physical performers. It builds anticipation for their eventual close encounter. Once the eventual meeting happens, writer Zach Dean’s script is smart enough to be the right kind of playful giving the leads the room to play off one another. By the end of their night together, when everything goes to hell – and it does in spectacular fashion – there’s an investment in their characters. The script does the almost old-fashioned task of character building and taking its time. It’s almost a radical notion nowadays in the attention-deficit-made films to allow stars to create and build characters we want to root for.
The Gorge is the kind of love letter to sci-fi horror like The Thing and Silent Hill as it is of the kind of slick action thrillers Tony Scott made. Director Scott Derrickson is at his stylish best delivering big action set pieces that thrill. Working with cinematographer Dan Laustsen and editor Frédéric Thoraval, Derrickson creates a film that, even though PG-13, feels every bit the harder edge R-rated films of the 80s and 90s. When the second half of the film begins – Derrickson’s knack for scares and tension comes out to play on a massive scale. Though not simply just about scares, Derrickson is playing with action set pieces that will surprise and delight even ardent action fans. The standout is a jeep chase that will have any fan of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom grinning ear to ear.
The Gorge is a throwback to the kind of pop filmmaking that we rarely get. One that isn’t afraid to have “something for everyone”. Though smart enough to put character first and take its time before the rollercoaster ride.
The Gorge will premiere on Apple TV+ February 14, 2025
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy generate true heat and chemistry in Scott Derrickson’s excellent genre mashup The Gorge.
The Gorge is the rare genre mashup where everything aligns perfectly to give us a big-budget thrilling action-adventure. But the secret sauce is the chemistry between stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Rarely do we get films that dare to mash up genres the way The Gorge does. Part action thriller. Part sci-fi horror. Part romance. All rolled up in a glossy package that recalls those films of the 80s and 90s that were constantly surprised with their twists and turns. The Scott Derrickson-directed film is rarer still – an original big-budget blockbuster that’s not based on some existing IP or source material.
Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) are government operatives each given a mysterious job. To man a guard tower on opposite sides of a mist-filled gorge. The rules are simple: protect the gorge and no contact with the other tower. It is only a matter of time until Levi and Drasa begin to communicate and form a bond one that is stronger than rules. As rules are broken and the two are put into an extraordinary situation that will require both of their skill sets if they are to survive the unimaginable within the gorge.
What may surprise many will be the romance and heat produced by leads Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. The Gorgeis almost old-fashioned in its “character” first approach to the event film. The first third of the film allows Teller and Taylor-Joy to play against one another building a relationship without any dialog. It’s a conceit that works to Teller and Taylor-Joy’s strengths as physical performers. It builds anticipation for their eventual close encounter. Once the eventual meeting happens, writer Zach Dean’s script is smart enough to be the right kind of playful giving the leads the room to play off one another. By the end of their night together, when everything goes to hell – and it does in spectacular fashion – there’s an investment in their characters. The script does the almost old-fashioned task of character building and taking its time. It’s almost a radical notion nowadays in the attention-deficit-made films to allow stars to create and build characters we want to root for.
The Gorge is the kind of love letter to sci-fi horror like The Thing and Silent Hill as it is of the kind of slick action thrillers Tony Scott made. Director Scott Derrickson is at his stylish best delivering big action set pieces that thrill. Working with cinematographer Dan Laustsen and editor Frédéric Thoraval, Derrickson creates a film that, even though PG-13, feels every bit the harder edge R-rated films of the 80s and 90s. When the second half of the film begins – Derrickson’s knack for scares and tension comes out to play on a massive scale. Though not simply just about scares, Derrickson is playing with action set pieces that will surprise and delight even ardent action fans. The standout is a jeep chase that will have any fan of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom grinning ear to ear.
The Gorge is a throwback to the kind of pop filmmaking that we rarely get. One that isn’t afraid to have “something for everyone”. Though smart enough to put character first and take its time before the rollercoaster ride.
The Gorge will premiere on Apple TV+ February 14, 2025
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