The Gorge

While the titular rocky ravine seems almost infinitely deep, The Gorge rarely digs beneath the surface.

Despite strong central performances, a shallow script dooms this stylish genre hybrid from director Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) that combines elements of science fiction, offbeat romantic drama, and dystopian suspense thriller. It winds up bogging down in narrative gamesmanship, which might be worthwhile if the ambitious setup yielded a more satisfying payoff.

Levi (Miles Teller) is a resourceful ex-Marine sniper whose backstory is spelled out during an early interrogation scene with a government official (Sigourney Weaver). His career as a killer has left him emotionally scarred. He’s reluctant to take another assignment yet also resigned to his fate.

He arrives at a top-secret European location where he’s briefed on his mission by the incumbent (Sope Dirisu) eagerly turning over the keys. Levi must spend a year in isolation in a guard tower overlooking a rocky canyon shrouded in fog so you can never see the bottom.

Although it’s unclear exactly why he’s there or the broader ramifications behind his actions, his predecessor leaves with a dire warning to not allow whatever’s down there to come to the surface: “The gorge is the door to hell, and you’re standing guard at the gate.”

Levi is also instructed to avoid contact with the tower on the opposite side, which happens to be occupied by Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Lithuanian operative also burdened by tragedy and whose motives likewise are cloudy.

They gradually develop trust and a playful rapport from afar, but are they friends or foes? And what about the common enemy beneath them? Their interactions only serve to delay the inevitable revelation of sinister secrets, as they discover the perilous realities of their respective assignments.

The screenplay by Zach Dean (The Tomorrow War) starts with an intriguing if contrived scenario in which the tension is inhibited by withholding contextual details regarding the aloof characters, their whereabouts and allegiances, and their equally mysterious adversaries.

While leading into some visually striking set pieces in the second half, it benefits from sharp technical contributions including evocative cinematography and an intense throwback music score.

Still, while the film hints at examining our need for connectivity and cooperation across sociopolitical lines, The Gorge consistently feels more muddled than provocative.

Rated PG-13, 127 minutes.