Apple TV+ streams “The Gorge” which features talented actors Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy alongside Sigourney Weaver yet their performances cannot rescue this disorganized and chaotic movie. The movie starts as an exciting action-thriller but soon becomes an incomprehensible mix of romance and sci-fi with zombie elements that delivers poorly on all aspects.
The initial setup is intriguing: A Russian operative and an American operative are positioned on opposite sides of a large gorge where they both have the responsibility to protect…something. The film generates clear tension and mystery. The story suddenly shifts focus when the two leads embark on an unanticipated romantic journey. Surprisingly, this shift works for a while. Teller and Taylor-Joy share an unmistakable chemistry that gives their new romance a refreshing break from the movie’s opening intensity.
“The Gorge” disrupts the growing connection between its leads by introducing zombie-like creatures. To me, the introduction of these creatures disrupts the story, making it feel disjointed. The movie inexplicably expands Sigourney Weaver’s role which results in a performance that becomes painful to watch. She bears no full responsibility because the writing and dialogue are dreadful which makes her seem completely unsuited for this role.
“The Gorge” suffers from its failure to settle on one specific plot. The film touches on action, romance, sci-fi and horror elements without committing to any one genre. The movie appears fragmented because its storytelling lacks any real unity. The plot elements never intersect where it’s even mildly believable, which results in confusion and detachment. I’ll give props to some of the action sequences. These are effective within the story.
The film reaches a particularly terrible conclusion that serves as a nonsensical summation of all of its faults. The weaknesses of “The Gorge” explain its release on Apple TV+ instead of theaters. The film’s acquisition by Apple TV+ likely depended primarily on Anya Taylor-Joy’s recognizable name. Both Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller give strong performances but these efforts fail to compensate for the movie’s shortcomings.
“The Gorge” is a frustrating experience. The film shows some potential during its initial action scenes and early romance development yet fails to maintain this momentum. The film becomes a tedious watch because of its mixed genres and Sigourney Weaver’s stilted performance alongside its nonsensical storyline. Two out of five stars. This film would disappoint anyone who is not a hardcore fan of its lead actors.
2 out of 5 Stars
