The best kind of story starts with a compelling “What if…?” The premise behind The Gorge, courtesy of screenwriter Zach Dean, is exceptionally promising. A massive, fog-covered crevice, located in an unknown country, is protected by two watchtowers, one manned by the Russians and one by the British and American governments. A single sniper is assigned to each tower for exactly a year, but the two never interact with each other. Their sole mission is to contain whatever is inside the gorge—a mystery that leaves ample space for imagination under the layers of thick clouds. The opportunity for menace is strong, especially since the film comes from Scott Derrickson, a director known for his clever takes on horror.
|
THE GORGE ★★1/2 (2.5/4 stars) |
Miles Teller plays Levi, a former Marine who now works as a killer for hire. He’s amassed dozens of kills as an elite sniper and he has no emotional ties, as he confirms to a shadowy figure (randomly played by Sigourney Weaver) who recruits him for a job. She sends Levi to the gorge, a journey he makes first by plane, then parachute, then on foot. There, he meets his predecessor, who explains the assignment. The watchtower is self-sufficient with a garden, a rainwater system and solar power, and each side of the gorge is lined with automatic guns and satellite blockers to evade detection. There’s a radio check-in once every 30 days, but otherwise Levi is on his own. His predecessor hints at what’s below, referencing figures known as the “Hollow Men,” an invocation of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem.
On the opposite cliff edge, Lithuanian-born sniper Drasa (Taylor-Joy, in an explicable amount of makeup for a remote job) is contending with the grief that she won’t see her dying father again. She, too, is assigned to her post with little knowledge and little communication, and she’s clearly bored. One night, she holds up a sign asking Levi his name. Although he’s reluctant to break the rules, soon Levi is enmeshed in a long-distance flirtation with Drasa and the pair are exchanging raised messages like they’re texts. You see, this isn’t just an action thriller; it’s a romance. The Gorge is cleverly being released around Valentine’s Day for a reason. Eventually, Levi fashions a zip-line and is gliding his way across the ominous gorge for a real-life date with Drasa, complete with flowers and rabbit stew. After an intimate night, Levi attempts to return to his side, but the line snaps, sending him tumbling into the mist. Drasa leaps after him, leading to, well, a series of events that are not worth spoiling here.
Derrickson reveals the Hollow Men early on, horrific figures that scramble up the canyon walls, but what’s really going on below is even more grotesque. The Gorge is not exactly horror—wimps like me can safely watch—but it does put Drasa and Levi in white-knuckle situations that are filled with tension and the threat of death. Dean’s explanation for what’s going on in the gorge is decent, but the execution falters. Some of the visuals land too closely to Stranger Things and The Gorge’s efforts to ground the scenario in history and science are stretched thin. There’s an element of the ridiculous to the goings on, although Derrickson does an apt job infusing the story with real thrills. The action set-pieces are notably strong, including a harrowing attempt by Drasa and Levi to escape the gorge.
The tension is augmented by an eerie score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who clearly understand the tonal assignment. The song choices in the soundtrack, too, are well-placed, particularly the inclusion of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Spitting Off the Edge of the World.” All of the craft elements, from the costumes to the production design, are spot on (although I still can’t believe Drasa has the means to do her hair and makeup in the watchtower). By the end of the film you desperately want Drasa and Levi to survive so they can be together, even if it’s completely unbelievable that a character played by Miles Teller would read and write poetry as he does here. The Gorge is chaotic and fun, despite some narrative and design hiccups. It’s too bad it’s not heading for the big screen. This is the sort of thing you want to experience with a lively audience with the sound turned all the way up.
‘The Gorge’ begins streaming on AppleTV+ on February 13th.
<