The Gorge: TV Series Worthy Sci-Fi Thriller

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Caution: Plot Reveal: This upcoming discussion unveils the majority of the storyline for the recently released sci-fi film titled The Gorge. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, be mindful as we delve deeper.

Watching “The Gorge” has further solidified my contentment with my recent Apple TV+ subscription. Otherwise, I might have felt even more let down by director Scott Derrickson’s latest horror film with a blend of romance and sci-fi elements, had I had to pay extra for it.

It’s important to clarify that I found the 2025 film, featuring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy as special operatives falling in love while protecting a secret valley, quite enjoyable when I watched it. However, towards the end, I felt that the story didn’t fully develop as a standalone feature film, and it might have been more effective if it were extended into around six episodes for television. Let me elaborate further on why I believe The Gorge had the potential to be an exceptional Apple TV+ original series instead of a decent Apple TV+ original movie.

More Time To Develop Levi And Drasa’s Romance

In my opinion, The Gorge could potentially surpass a thriller in terms of being an exceptional love story, given that the narrative effectively fleshes out Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) as individuals. Frankly, their seemingly instant connection, reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” music video, felt a tad hurried, and it seemed unusual for them to open up so effortlessly, particularly considering Levi’s reserved character at the outset. It would have been more convincing if their intense confrontation with the “Hollow Men” (a conflict instigated by their impulsive decision to disregard protocol and communicate) had instead served as the catalyst for their dialogue.

After Levi chose to bridge the Gorge and encounter Drasa personally (this sequence is preceded by a montage depicting their humorous flirting spanning months), I remained uncertain about these characters’ genuine affection, perhaps because of what seemed like insufficient chemistry between Teller and Taylor-Joy. Despite this, I sensed that spending more time getting acquainted with this pair would be necessary for me to wholeheartedly support their relationship.

More Time To Explore Its Conspiracy Angle

One particularly captivating scene from the movie for me is when character Levi, portrayed by Sope Disiru, speculates that the title valley serves as a gateway to Hell. This theory left my thoughts whirling about what might be hidden beneath. The chilling moment when J.D. was brutally killed shortly after being picked up only solidified my belief that Levi and Drasa are safeguarding some significant secret.

In my opinion, the movie’s complex web of conspiracy didn’t quite live up to its promise. One reason is that the plot twist about Levi and Drasa’s employer creating super soldiers seemed overused. However, my main issue lies with the story not effectively building tension by hinting at its secrets or maintaining high suspense levels. Instead, it spends too little time doing this, and even when it does, as in the scene where a drone is shown for comic relief, it falls short. By the time the movie provides answers to its questions (or more accurately, resolves them), I found myself not particularly interested in the mystery’s resolution.

More Time To Spend In The Gorge

What struck me as unfairly hurried in The Gorge was the exploration of the gorge itself. I was genuinely excited to discover its secrets and, although the scene was visually enhanced with some rather subpar CGI effects, I must say that I found it quite captivating. I yearned for a more extensive experience.

In the film, we delve into this horrifying landscape for approximately half an hour out of its total runtime of 127 minutes, with scenes reminiscent of a terrifying monster movie, almost as intense as The Thing (though without the iconic practical effects). I would have appreciated if more time was dedicated to this sequence, perhaps even doubling it, to uncover additional monsters and environmental abnormalities in the gorge. If the creators had structured this part as a one-hour TV episode, they could have effectively explored these aspects further. However, the script seemed to rush our heroes out of the hellscape too quickly, leaving me yearning for a superior horror movie that manages this concept more effectively, such as Alex Garland’s Annihilation.

More and more frequently, I’ve noticed productions that could potentially be stronger in different formats – some TV shows that might have been more effective as films, and vice versa. I think the movie “The Gorge” falls into the latter category. Why not give it a try on Apple TV+ and see if you concur?

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2025-02-21 17:07