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The Gorge (film)

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The Gorge
Release poster
Directed byScott Derrickson
Written byZach Dean
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDan Laustsen
Edited byFrédéric Thoraval
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byApple TV+
Release date
  • February 14, 2025 (2025-02-14)
Running time
127 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom[1]
United States
LanguageEnglish

The Gorge is a 2025 American science fiction romantic action film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Zach Dean.[2] It stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver. Teller and Taylor-Joy portray two elite snipers who are ordered to guard a deep gorge without knowing what lies inside. It was released on Apple TV+ on February 14, 2025.

Plot

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Two elite snipers receive identical missions: travel to a secret location and guard the west and east sides of a deep gorge for one year without any contact with the outside world or their counterparts on the opposite sides. Levi Kane, a former U.S. Marine and current private contractor agrees to guard the west tower. Drasa, a Lithuanian covert operative frequently employed by the Kremlin, guards the east side.

Upon arriving, Levi relieves his predecessor, J.D., a Nigerian Royal Marine of duty. J.D. explains that in addition to the towers, there are automated turret defenses, powerful cloaking antennas that hide the gorge, and mines on the walls of the gorge to contain the monstrous creatures within. Their predecessors nicknamed these creatures, “The Hollow Men,” a reference to the poem of the same name by T. S. Eliot depicting the end of the world. J.D. tells Levi that three battalions of soldiers (2,400 men) were sent into the gorge in the late 1940s but never returned. J.D. is exfiltrated by helicopter, but his contact executes him without explanation.

After several weeks, Drasa violates the communication protocol on her birthday and initiates conversations with Levi via written signs. Levi reciprocates and the two engage in a sharpshooting competition. There is a protracted escape attempt by the Hollow Men, but Drasa and Levi defend their towers and each other. The two start communicating more frequently, playing games of chess, and making improvised drum sets.

Six months into their tour, Levi ziplines to the other side of the gorge to spend time with Drasa. The two court one another by dancing and making rabbit pie. Levi, an amateur poet, tells Drasa he is writing a poem for her entitled “She Collapsed the Night”. The next morning, Levi tells Drasa he loves her. He attempts to cross back to his side of the gorge, but the mines on the western side of the gorge detonate as the Hollow Men climb it, causing him to drop into the gorge when his zipline cable snaps. He deploys a parachute as he falls.

Drasa parachutes in to rescue him, and the two discover that every plant, animal, and insect within the gorge has been cross-mutated with one another. Seeking shelter, they locate the source of the mutations: a bioweapons research lab abandoned after World War II when an earthquake caused a contaminant leak that produces symptoms of mutation within five days. Originally run by Eastern and Western governments, the facility has since become the responsibility of Darklake, a private defense corporation that periodically extracts samples and research data, hoping to create super soldiers. Levi discovers the “Stray Dog” protocol, a failsafe developed by the original researchers to sterilize the site with a nuclear detonation, which Darklake now controls.

The two find a Jeep with a working towing cable and use it to climb back out of the gorge as they fight off the Hollow Men. They agree to separate for five days to ensure that neither is infected with the mutagens and to check in with their handlers. Levi’s handler, Bartholomew, admits that Darklake is running the operation and that she knows the site has been compromised. Aware that Darklake is coming and will try to kill them, Drasa and Levi agree to activate the “Stray Dog” protocol to protect the world from mutagens and mutagenic research. Bartholomew arrives with her soldiers and finds Levi’s tower abandoned; they send armed aerial drones after Levi and Drasa, but the pair manage to destroy them. Executing pre-planned, simultaneous shots, the two destroy the ‘cloak’ and expose the site to surveillance, triggering the “Stray Dog” protocol. Bartholomew and her soldiers are killed in the blast and the area is destroyed.

Having been separated during the blast, Drasa completes her five day self-quarantine, but she believes Levi has died. She leaves for France, where the pair planned to reunite. Among her belongings, she finds an envelope from Levi to be opened 'if I don't make it'; inside she finds the completed poem “She Collapsed the Night”. A month later, Drasa is working in a local restaurant. There Levi surprises her, asking if he can have rabbit pie. The two kiss.

Cast

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Production

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Zach Dean wrote a spec script for The Gorge that was later voted onto the Black List of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in 2020.[5] In March 2022, Scott Derrickson was set to direct and produce the film alongside Skydance Media.[6] In August, Miles Teller was cast to star, as well as serve as an executive producer.[7] In October, Anya Taylor-Joy joined the cast, and Apple Original Films signed on.[8] Sigourney Weaver was added to the cast in March 2023.[9]

The film includes a scene where the characters bond across the gorge, with the two playing chess and banging on improvised drum sets, recalling iconic breakout roles of the actors, as a chess prodigy in The Queen's Gambit for Taylor-Joy, and as a drummer in Whiplash for Teller.[10] According to Teller and Taylor-Joy, the scenes were not written for them specifically, but were in the script prior to their being cast. They felt it was a bit on the nose considering their histories, and tried to get them changed, but Derrickson insisted the scene remain.[11]

Filming began in March 2023 in London, with production occurring at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, where the tower interiors were built on a stage.[12][13] The Rauma River in Norway served as the location for the forest and gorge exteriors, while Llandudno in Wales stood in for Èze in France.[14]

Release

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The Gorge had its world premiere at the AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles on February 13, 2025, with the cast and crew in attendance.[15] The film was subsequently released for streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ on February 14, 2025.[16][17] It became Apple TV+’s biggest launch for a movie ever, surpassing ‘WOLFS’ starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt. [18]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 112 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Mixing multiple genres, The Gorge makes for a surprisingly endearing romance until its action-thriller obligations steer proceedings back onto a more predictable path."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 57 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[20]

Glenn Kenny of The New York Times gave The Gorge a positive review, saying, "'The Gorge' takes an already implausible premise and then catapults it out of the espionage genre and into science-fiction and horror ... this movie crackles most as a lively pas de deux between Taylor-Joy and Teller, who commendably take their material seriously no matter how seriously ridiculous it gets."[21]

Jack Coyle of the Associated Press gave the film one and a half stars out of four, calling it "preposterous", arguing that the tonal swings between action and romance were not of high quality, with the movie feeling like an "intriguing but empty genre mash-up and streaming-only exercise".[22] Coyle also took issue with the basic structure of the plot, arguing that "If some version of hell was pried open, would we, perhaps, want more than two guards?"[22]

References

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  1. ^ "The Gorge". Apple TV+. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  2. ^ Kit, Borys (March 17, 2022). "Scott Derrickson to Direct Action Love Story 'The Gorge' for Skydance". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Watch the Gorge - Apple TV+".
  4. ^ Gearan, Hannah (May 15, 2024). "The Gorge: Scott Derrickson's Next Movie Gets Intriguing Genre Tease From Anya Taylor-Joy". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Desta, Yohana (December 14, 2020). "The Black List 2020: Scripts About Cannibals, Billionaires, and Tabloid Faves Make the Cut". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 17, 2022). "Scott Derrickson To Direct 'The Gorge' For Skydance". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 25, 2022). "Miles Teller To Star In And Executive Produce Skydance's The Gorge For Black Phone Director Scott Derrickson". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 11, 2022). "Apple Original Films Boards Skydance's The Gorge With Anya Taylor-Joy Set To Co-Star Opposite Miles Teller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 1, 2023). "Sigourney Weaver Joins Miles Teller In The Gorge For Apple And Skydance". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Hedash, Kara (February 15, 2025). "One Scene In Anya Taylor-Joy & Miles Teller's New Horror Movie Brilliantly Calls Back To Their Best Leading Performances". ScreenRant.
  11. ^ Huff, Lauren (February 14, 2025). "Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller tried to remove those Queen's Gambit, Whiplash nods in The Gorge". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. ^ "What's On Screen and Filming in London: March 2023". Film London. March 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "2023 film and HETV productions shooting in the UK: latest updates, strike status". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. August 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Papadopoulos, Charles (February 14, 2025). "Where Was The Gorge Filmed? The Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Horror's Filming Locations Explained". ScreenRant.
  15. ^ "Apple Original Films celebrates the premiere of "The Gorge" alongside Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  16. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (October 15, 2024). "'The Gorge': Exclusive First Look at the Genre-Blending Film Starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy". IGN. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  17. ^ G. Philips, Zoe (December 7, 2024). "Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy Stand Guard at the Gates of Hell in Apple Films' 'The Gorge' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  18. ^ "Apple's Miles Teller-Anya Taylor Joy-Starrer 'The Gorge' Becomes Streamer's Biggest Movie Launch". Deadline. February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  19. ^ "The Gorge". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 20, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  20. ^ "The Gorge". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  21. ^ Kenny, Glenn (February 13, 2025). "'The Gorge' Review: How Deep Is Your Love?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Coyle, Jack (February 13, 2025). "Movie Review: 'The Gorge' is ridiculous". Associated Press News. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
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