I had high hopes for The Gorge, Apple's new sci-fi/horror thriller, but unfortunately, it fell flat in almost every conceivable and disappointing way.
The premise had potential—a thrilling adventure set against a stunning, treacherous landscape—but the execution was so lackluster that it left me questioning why I even bothered to watch it in the first place.
First and foremost, the characters were utterly forgettable. Anna Taylor-Joy is a wonderful actor but she is so wasted in this. Her character, an esteemed assassin no less, is a strong force to be reckoned with, until she ends up meeting Miles Teller as Levi, another esteemed assassin and she becomes some kind of of lovesick teen. Our main heroes lack depth, and their motivations felt forced and unconvincing. I found it impossible to connect with or care about their journey, which made the entire film feel like a tedious slog. Their characters are given some background but it doesn't come in to play at all in a way that drives the story. The dialogue was equally uninspired, filled with clichés and embarrassing exchanges that made me cringe more than once. Screen legend Sigourney Weaver (whom I adore) appears in a few brief scenes, and I'm left wondering why she even got involved in the first place.
Our story is that two world renowned assassins are posted to observation towers either side of a large mist-filled Gorge in some undisclosed location. Neither really knows why they are there other than to stop whatever is in the Gorge from getting out. To this extent, they are kitted out with the latest weaponry and kit. They must remain at their stations for one year and must not communicate with each other. This goes awry when Taylor-Joy's Drasa decides to contact Levi via writing on an art pad. This, in turn, leads to a strange relationship and peril as the pair find themselves at the bottom of the Gorge and it's horrifying secrets.
The pacing was another major issue with this movie. The first hour dragged on endlessly, with long, drawn-out scenes that added nothing to the plot or character development. By the time the action finally picked up, I was already too bored to care.
Visually, *The Gorge* was a mixed bag. While the natural scenery was undeniably beautiful, some of the CGI and special effects were distractingly bad. Others were great and there are some unusual and horrifying monster designs but there were moments where the green screen was so obvious that it completely took me out of the experience. For a film that relies so heavily on its setting, this was a major letdown.
Lastly, the ending was a complete letdown. Without giving too much away, it felt rushed and unsatisfying, as if the writers had no idea how to wrap up the story. It left me feeling frustrated and cheated, as though I had wasted my time on a film that couldn’t even deliver a coherent conclusion. There are so many potholes. Zip lines can now hold the weight of a jeep? Why have one person in a position such as guardian of the abyss when the monsters can pretty much gain access anytime they want? They only check in once a month, so of the monsters DID get over the edge, there's be no one to find out for a long time and given the reason why the monsters exist, this is sloppy at best. It's like someone came up with this great hook for the film, but hadn't thought out the practicalities. It's sometimes easy to switch off and enjoy the flick, but not when there's so many things to question.
In short, The Gorge is a textbook example of wasted potential. Viewers have drawn parallels with The Last of Us, but unlike that miniseries, The Gorge is a dull, poorly executed film that fails to deliver on its promises. Go in with low expectations and you won't be too disappointed.
