I just watched The Gorge on Apple TV+. The trailer was really intriguing, which made me want to check out the film. I liked it. It's a multi-genre movie-part thriller, part horror, and surprisingly, a beautiful love story between the lead characters. That's probably why they released it on Valentine's Day. The story follows two elite snipers from different nations, both lonely in their lives, assigned to guard a mysterious place called The Gorge. What they're guarding against is the mystery. The film explores what happens while they are stationed there and how they meet and connect in the process. Directed by Scott Derrickson, who is known for horror films (most notably Doctor Strange-though I initially thought he directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which had more horror elements, but that's a different topic), the movie balances action, horror, and romance quite well. The lead roles are played by Miles Teller, whom I remember from the Divergent trilogy (where he was kind of a bad guy), and Anya Taylor-Joy, who recently starred in the high-budget action film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. They both delivered strong performances. However, their characters weren't fully developed, especially Anya's character, Darsa, who felt inconsistent at times. After their introductions, the film quickly moves to The Gorge, where they are tasked with guarding against a mysterious species emerging from the valley. Positioned on opposite sides, they are given separate tasks to complete over the course of a year. Despite orders not to communicate, they begin exchanging messages via a placard. This is where I felt Darsa's character lacked consistency-being a trained sniper involved in covert operations, it didn't make much sense for her to fall for someone on the opposite side so easily. That said, I really liked the romantic element in a film that was primarily supposed to be a thriller/horror story. There are some exciting action sequences, particularly when the creatures start climbing up and both snipers attempt to protect each other by taking them down. The entire sequence where Levi falls into the valley and Darsa follows to rescue him was a highlight. The CGI and practical makeup for the mysterious species were well done, and the production design for the valley was superb. The attention to detail, even in brief moments, is what sets Hollywood films apart from other industries. The action-packed sequence was thrilling and well-executed. I do wish they had explored the origins and purpose of the mysterious species more, but overall, it was a strong segment, even with some creative liberties taken. I have to mention that the concept reminded me of the HBO show The Last of Us. Also, there weren't many actors in the film-maybe 10 in total-and the dialogue was minimal, possibly just a few pages. Could it have been a budget constraint? Not sure. And as expected, the film ends predictably. The music was solid, the direction was strong, and the CGI was impressive. I especially liked the climax with the atomic bomb scene-it felt real and impactful. Overall, the fresh angle in this movie is the romantic storyline set against a thriller/horror backdrop, combined with some intense action and fantastic set design.

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