A Lithuanian assassin and a military contractor fall into a literal pit of hell, you’ve heard this one before, I’m sure of it. Turns out, what transpires isn’t the punchline of a joke but a pretty fun flick. Director Scott Derrickson’s (The Black Phone, Sinister) latest venture outside of the pure horror genre pays off in all the right ways. Derrickson is proving that while horror is where the heart is, throwing a few more genres into the mix like he has prior (2016’s Doctor Strange), results in movies that are just plain, simple, fun.
Opening on Anya Taylor-Joy’s Lithuanian assassin, Drasa – we are quickly introduced to a movie that is going to be locked and stocked with some smoking barrels. After completing a successful hit, Drasa visits with her cancer-stricken father, letting him know that she has accepted an assignment which will put her out of touch with the outside world for a year or more. While a short scene, writer Zach Dean does his best with the time he has to convince us that these characters are emotionally deep, and their relationship will help drive some points of the plot forward.
In a sharp juxtaposition, Miles Teller’s Levi, a former Marine sniper turned military contractor is a lonely man, with no loved ones to care for – even more reason to accept the same assignment, putting him at the edge of the world with no contact.
Enter The Gorge.
Drasa and Levi are stationed on opposite ends of a seeming never ending abyss of a chasm described to Levi as “the literal pit of hell” – equipped with enough artillery to bring down a small army with one objective, “do not let what is in the pit, out”. An interesting plot twist fairly early in helps cement the first act of the film with a deeper mystery for the remaining 90 minutes, other than the initial thoughts of “what the hell is in that pit?”.
Written between April and September of 2020, the allegoric backdrop of two people set up in a tower hundreds of yards from each other with no contact between themselves and the outside world is on full display with the influence of the pandemic driven isolation from that same year. The isolation also lends itself to the feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty surrounding the protagonists, their mysterious role and the even more mysterious circumstances surrounding what lies beneath the fog in the abyss below.
The Gorge is very clearly an homage to Derrickson’s love of all things horror, drawing influences from Italian cinema influences of the 1970s all the way to the set design early cinema classics such as 1933’s King Kong. Derrickson cites Dario Argento’s Suspiria as particular influence on the film, when asked about the relation between the films he says: “That was very intentional…”. Citing Suspiria’s use of bright, often perplexing colors to sustain and create a very atmospheric feel, the influence is very clear in the depiction of the gorge itself, with its bright purples and muted yellows.
I would absolutely be remiss if I didn’t at the very least give props to production designer Rick Heinrichs (Sleepy Hollow, Rings of Power, Pirates of the Caribbean) and his incredible creature design for the film – while not wanting to give too much of the plot away, I can confidently say that the design of the monsters and creatures are just plain cool and add a layer of enjoyment in the film based on set and production design, alone.
With all of it’s highs, I do have to say that there are unfortunately some downturns. The second act is super slow and almost feels like a different film from the first act’s high-octane introduction and twists. The dialogue also leaves a lot to be desired, and the supporting cast for what little there is, is mostly wasted – Sigourney Weaver is in this film and is given next to nothing to do, with very generic motivations and next to no development.
Do yourself a favor, go into the film prepared to turn your brain off, and you should be fully equipped to have a great time. The Gorge is streaming everywhere on Apple TV.
MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 127 mins
Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: Zach Dean
Cast: Miles Teller; Anya Taylor-Joy; Sigourney Weaver
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline: The world's most dangerous secret lies between them
Memorable Movie Quote: "Private defense contractors have been researching genetic solder enhancements for decades and everything down here is genetically brand new; we're here to protect their secrets."
Distributor: Apple TV
Official Site:
Release Date: February 14, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Two highly-trained operatives become close after being sent to protect opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil emerges, they must work together to survive what lies within.
