The Gorge

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5 stars)

This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper. - TS Elliot (1925)

The Hollow Men, Elliot’s legendary poem, does a deep dive into the otherworldly experiences of the spiritually dead. Within these disturbingly brilliant words these "hollow men" have the realisation, humility, and acknowledgement of their roles as broken, lost souls. Director Scott Derrickson (The Black Phone) takes Zach Dean’s screenplay into the dark recess of this world and the human soul to expose the viciousness of humanity.

After completing seemingly impossible assassinations, Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) are two highly trained snipers recruited by a powerful figure (Sigourney Weaver) who assigns them to an unexpected assignment. Each is stationed on two sides of an unassailable gorge. Neither of them is aware of what they are meant to guard against, so the pair eventually become romantically linked. Until this connection leads to their eventual descent into this horrific existence that lies beneath them. As they do all they can to escape this naturally-made prison, the snipers discover a deadly truth from the past.

As the story unfolds, these two lovers travel through multiple genres, making this film hard to define as things move from a futuristic love affair to a military-influenced, sci-fi action piece. Initially, the minimalist dialogue creates a beautiful tension between the characters until they are thrown into the crevasse they are guarding. This leads them on twists and turns reminiscent of Alex Garland’s Annihilation and James Cameron’s Aliens. Here is where they begin to speak, which is unfortunate since these accomplished actors are given such weak dialogue to deliver.

Teller and Taylor-Joy do their best with what they are given, and the action makes up for the unforgivable discourse. This duo does have chemistry on and off the battlefield, despite the otherworldly and unbelievable scenarios they put in from the midpoint to the predictable conclusion. What initially begins as a fascinating premise and potentially groundbreaking combination turns into an unimaginable result that resembles many of the mutated residents of the cursed valley.

Interestingly, this film is an unexpected entertaining option despite its outlandish mixture of genres. One part is offbeat romance, one part is sci-fi horror, and the other is a statement against nuclear weapons; The Gorge delivers something different for audiences to consider over the weekend.

REEL DIALOGUE: How will the world come to an end?

It is the question of the ages.

T.S. Elliot’s poem inspired this film’s storyline and may have audiences yearning to answer this question that plagues everyone at some point in their lives. The question can bring out fear in much of the population and conspiracy theorists who merely have to provide plausible answers to cause people to continue asking it. What does the Bible have to say about it all?

The Book of Revelation can be confusing and misunderstood, but it is worth engaging with others on this informative text for a clearer answer to the end of the world as we know it. This book within the Bible is worth reading and seeking the answers to the end of the world—Revelation.

If you would like to discuss the themes of this film, contact us at Third Space. We would love to chat with you about this and more.