Is 2025 going to be the year of the genre-blend film? We’ve had plenty of films early on in the year that do just that. They take two unlikely bedfellows of genres and blend them together, combining elements, to make something brand new. The Gorge does just that with even more genres. The film from Scott Derrickson and writer Zach Dean creates a stew of romance, monsters, sci-fi, horror, and action. As the film goes on, the chills and horror are unleashed, letting Derrickson do what he does best. The narrative here is quite simple, two snipers are tasked with a mysterious mission, to guard either side of a deep and impenetrable gorge, without knowing what actually lies beneath them.

The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Drasa and Miles Teller as Levi. They’re both going through their fair share of issues. Levi has PTSD. Drasa has been unmasked and her identity is in the public, forcing her to retreat into hiding. Her father is on his last legs with a terminal illness. It kicks off The Gorge with characters that are unusually well-developed for on the surface looks like a traditional sci-fi horror flick.

The two are brought together by a shady government official and their skills and experiences are put to the ultimate test.

Levi is tasked by Bartholomew (played by Sigourney Weaver) to protect one side of a murky, foggy gorge. His spot is in The West Tower. A structure stocked with books and ammo, a seemingly nice place to get the mission done. His only mission is to keep the horrifying human-plant hybrids from escaping AND to never contact whoever is in the East Tower. Obviously, that rule gets broken pretty quickly and Levi and Drasa contact one another.

Here’s where the romance portion of The Gorge comes in. Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller have some excellent chemistry with one another. Their romance carries the middle section of the film but it does run into an issue I had with the film. It does blend the genres together, but never really at the same time. It would have been less predictable if there weren’t explicit demarcated moments where the genres shift. Each moment feels like an abrupt shift and it affects the characters because they’re put into situations that take away from their development.

Those issues aside, The Gorge gives plenty of development to its characters and makes you really invest in the stories of Levi and Drasa. What also aids the film and its scares is the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The industrial synth sounds add to the almost dystopian vibes and really get you into the film in its most tense moments.

The other masterstroke of the film is in the terror and its creatures. They borrow heavily from other sources, but combining together monsters and ideas is horror’s thing. The creatures are absolutely gross. If you don’t like creepy crawlies, The Gorge will make you uncomfortable.

As a horror movie, The Gorge works. As a fun date movie, depending on your date partner, it also works. The issues with the blending of genres are small in comparison to the thrills and chills of the overall proceedings. Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller bring on an intense chemistry that tests their mettle as performers in more than one way. The creatures are a real highlight providing more than enough scares.

The Gorge is as good of a romance film as it is a horror movie. Some small things might take away, like the genres not really meshing together, or the characters wearing a bit too much of their motivations on their sleeve, but none of that takes away from the fact that the film is excellent on multiple levels.

The Gorge releases on AppleTV+ on February 14th, 2025.

For more Reviews, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

Captain America: Brave New World – Marvel Brings Back Paranoia And Pressure [Review]