Scott Derrickson‘s visual eye and a pair of magnetic performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller make The Gorge the best film of 2025 so far. Add in a fantastic mix of Sci-Fi, action, and romance, and The Gorge is the best streaming film since 2024’s Hit Man.
The Gorge Overview
The Gorge is what streaming movies should aim to be. Find a cool concept that spans a couple of genres, pare down the cast to 2 to 3 actors at most, and find a director who can craft great visuals on a manageable budget.
The Gorge is a gorgeous film that deserves to be seen on a big screen. The titular canyon at the center of the story is shrouded in fog. However, once Drasa (Taylor-Joy) and Levi (Teller) enter the hellish abyss, Derrickson and Cinematographer Dan Laustsen utilize color switching from a gaseous yellow to almost purp
The Gorge centers around a pair of operatives watching over this mysterious chasm without knowing the mystery beneath the fog.
The Gorge is available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Breaking the Rules
Levi is an American sniper with few ties, which makes him a perfect candidate for Bartholomew (Sigourney Weaver). Drasa’s only connection is her critically ill father, who plans to kill himself. She accepts the assignment to allow her father to die how he wants. Teller and Taylor-Joy shine at grounding these characters in what could be a ludicrous Sci-FI scenario.
Levi and Drasa aren’t supposed to interact with each other. However, boredom takes over, and they begin communicating from afar. Their communication begins with cue cards they view from binoculars but eventually blooms into a relationship between the two. As fun as these interactions from a distance are, The Gorge truly takes off once the two characters share the same space.
The Gorge‘s pacing is excellent. Derrickson knows precisely when to break up the romance with crisp action sequences that shine in showing the capabilities of Drasa and Levi.
Taylor-Joy and Teller make this relationship work. Teller shows the world-weariness of a shooter with too many kills who doesn’t care about much except the next mission. Taylor-Joy plays with a much broader range of emotions. As Drasa, she’s able to transition from dancing and chiding Levi to crying over her Dad’s death.
Out of The Gorge
The operatives are thrust into the gorge, where they discover that previous gorge watchers have mutated. The creatures resemble the Clickers from The Last of Us or Bootstrap Turner from the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Since these creatures are former military personnel, they can think strategically. Derrickson, who isn’t well known for great action sequences, does a great job putting Levi and Drasa in peril. Then, let these formidable operatives showcase their impressive skill by fighting their way out of the gorge. The creatures don’t develop any personality and are more or less impressive cannon fodder.
While in the Gorge, they discover the reason behind the chasm’s continued existence. An evil organization is trying to create supersoldiers. Two operatives must watch over the canyon because they can’t risk contaminating the outside world. The cover-up plot is easily the weakest aspect of The Gorge. It essentially serves as a device to stack the odds against Levi and Drasa.
The Gorge Final Thoughts
The Gorge is a great streaming film featuring compelling action sequences and excellent lead performances that ground the movie with a surprisingly rewarding romance. Derrickson’s handling of tone and pace keeps the audience mostly aligned with Drasa and Levi. The one negative aspect is the explanation behind the gorge’s creation and continuing existence isn’t compelling.
However, the great chemistry between Taylor-Joy and Teller overcomes all storytelling obstacles to deliver one of the best streaming films in recent memory.
The Gorge
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Great - 8/108/10
