By Jamie Miller
Isolation, anyone who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic knows the concept very well. This concept runs completely opposite to our nature as social creatures. We don’t tend to do well alone, and when forced to be we look for any human contact we can find.
“The Gorge,” released onto Apple TV+ on Feb. 14, is built on this concept of searching for human contact in the face of the horror of isolation. Telling the tale of two people, Levi Kane and a woman known simply as Drasa. Hailing from two different countries with Kane being from the United States and Drasa from Lithuania both are seemingly hired by their respective countries for a oddly simple job, to guard their side of a huge gorge. A very strange job considering that both are elite snipers and the job is incredibly hush-hush, despite the seeming simplicity of the job. Their instructions are clear and simple, maintain their side’s security measures, have no communication with each other and prevent anything from leaving the gorge by any means necessary. The two however disregard the second rule and a romance quickly builds between the two, a romance threatened by the secret which lies far beneath them. A secret that threatens not just their new found relationship but perhaps the world itself and in order to survive Kane and Drasa will have to rely on their particular set of skills and each other as they attempt to uncover what lies inside the gorge.
The film stars Miles Teller of “Whiplash” fame as Kane, Anya Taylor-Joy known for roles in the likes of “The Menu” and “The Northman” as Drasa. Also along for the ride is Sigourney Weaver known for playing Ellen Ripley in the “Alien” franchise as Bartholomew, Kane’s mysterious employer who hired him to guard the gorge. Sope Dirisu, known for roles in “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” and “Gangs of London” as J.D., is a British Royal Marine and the person who guarded the western tower before Kane arrived. William Houston known for roles in the likes of “The Last Duel” and “Dracula Untold” also appears as Erikas, one of Bartholomew’s agents.
Now what to say about this movie? It was decent. The performances were good, namely from Taylor-Joy and Teller. The effects were top-notch as was the action and the villain has one of the most over-the-top and satisfying deaths I’ve seen in a while. However, if you’re going into the film expecting something new or fresh, you’re probably going to be disappointed. This is a popcorn flick plain and simple, no reinvention of the wheel, just a very well-worn wheel. Seven and a half torches out of 10, a good movie if you just want to sit down with a bucket of popcorn and watch guns go boom. Just don’t expect this film to be winning any Oscars or anything.
