Have you ever watched a movie and you just could not put it into one particular genre? That was The Gorge for me.One minute it felt like a quiet sci-fi mystery, then suddenly it turned into a full monster survival movie, and somehow in the middle there is still a love story. I did not think all of that would work together but it somehow did. So I’m going to make this review spoiler free.
The movie is directed by Scott Derrickson and it stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. Basically two highly trained snipers are sent to opposite sides of this massive mysterious gorge. Their job is to guard whatever is living inside. They are not supposed to communicate at all. But after spending months just watching each other from far across the gorge, they figured out a way to connect. And when things inside start going wrong, they have to work together to survive.
I went in with no real expectations. But the mix of science fiction, action, horror and romance caught my attention. What surprised me most is how well it brings all those genres together without losing itself. I think they really try their best.
My favourite part was actually Levi and Drasa. At first they are literally just staring at each other from opposite sides. They use binoculars, they hold up signs, they write messages. Slowly they start getting to know each other. I found that surprisingly entertaining because it is not the normal way to build a relationship. They are completely isolated, so that weird situation is the only way they can connect. But it actually makes sense. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy work really well together. Their chemistry makes it better.
The gorge itself creates a great atmosphere. Once the creatures start appearing the movie gets way more intense. There are some really fun action scenes, especially when Levi and Drasa have to defend their towers from the creatures climbing up. They are both soldiers so watching them cover each other and fight together was probably the most exciting part for me.
I also liked how the movie keeps changing its identity. In the beginning it feels like a mysterious romance about two lonely people secretly getting to know each other. Then it slowly turns into a monster movie. Later you get more sci-fi and military secrets and survival stuff. Normally when a movie tries to do that many things it becomes messy. I thought The Gorge handled it pretty well. It does not feel like it is trying to be just one thing.
There were some things that did not work for me though. Some of the decisions the characters made were questionable. And there were moments I wanted it to explain certain parts of the gorge a little better. But Honestly , I think some of the mystery was more interesting when you did not know the answer.
But overall I really enjoyed it. It has a good central relationship, entertaining action, creepy creatures and enough mystery to keep you interested. So If you enjoy movies that combine romance, action, sci-fi, mystery and horror like me , I think The Gorge is definitely worth checking out.
Images were sourced from IMDb.
Rating: 80/100
