“Doctor Strange” director Scott Derrickson presents a new sci-fi action horror romance thriller that unfortunately feels manufactured from top to bottom — the story, dialogue, music, character conveniences, and the reasons for how it all plays out.
“The Gorge” is a spin on “Romeo & Juliet”, at least for a while, as Levi & Drasa (played by Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are snipers guarding the west and east sides of a (classified to the rest of the world) gorge, with vicious creatures below who are eager to eat you alive.
Levi and Drasa shouldn’t be communicating with each other, but they do, via neatly written note cards they can see through their incredible binoculars. When they eventually meet-up, things heat-up, and then they end-up right down there with the monsters. Teller and Joy don’t have terrible chemistry, but you’re never truly inspired to care about these two. (At least Teller, who at one point was attached to “La La Land”, gets to show off some dance moves).
It’s difficult to take “The Gorge” seriously because most of it comes-off as corny (like Teller reading ‘prophetic’ quotes on the wall of his tower), jarring, in your face and downright predictable. I was rolling my eyes during the generic second half, including why Sigourney Weaver’s military character is brought back into the action after just a brief appearance in the opening section. This leads to a ridiculous final 15 minutes, in which Derrickson decides to abandon the “R&J” playbook.
When it comes to “The Gorge”, to quote the great Goofy, “GOWRSH!”
LCJ GRADE: D+
Running Time: 127 min.