Levi (portrayed by Teller) and Drasa (played by Taylor-Joy, sporting a Soviet bob) are independent marksmen with minimal ties to the global community. Levi, a former Marine, has withdrawn following an unsuccessful psychiatric evaluation that barred him from active service, whereas Drasa’s only connection is her ailing ex-KGB father who is dying of cancer. Unsurprisingly, they are both selected for a covert operation, which requires them to station themselves in towers on opposite sides of a colossal chasm in the earth for an entire year. The specifics about their tasks during this period are scarce, but Levi’s predecessor and information provider J.D. (Dirisu) informs him vaguely before departing that their role is not to prevent people from entering the chasm, but to halt whatever lies within the chasm from escaping. On some nights, they can hear the sorrowful cries of what dwells in the chasm, which has been referred to as “the hollow men,” reminiscent of a T.S. Eliot poem. The main rule given to them is that they are not to communicate with the person manning the other tower – a rule that both Levi and Drasa quickly break by using large hand-written signs, similar to the style used in the movie “Love Actually”.
