The Gorge (2025)

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

This was such a fun movie. My favorite of the year so far. There were a few changes from the script that I wasn't sure if I'd like at first, but in some cases it felt like they actually improved upon the story I originally read.

Scott Derrickson is really becoming one of my favorite directors. He kind of reminds me of James Wan. He's got his start in low budget, horror movies and then jumped into big budgeted franchise movies and succeeded. Derrickson almost never misses and now in addition to horror, you see he can deliver entertaining action as well.

Great performances by Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. Your main characters are 2 people who are isolated and alone before they even get to the Gorge. They are by themselves for the first half of the movie, and you can feel their loneliness and yearning for a connection. It's impressive that Teller and Taylor-Joy are able to create a burgeoning relationship even though their characters don't actually meet until nearly an hour into the movie.

Anya Taylor Joy is gorgeous. That scene with her dancing at her towner while Miles Teller watches. I would've been trying to jump the across the gorge after that.

I love the look and feel of the movie. I'm sure there was a lot of CGI involved, since I doubt they filmed this movie around a giant pit. But at no point did I feel like I was watching something that wasn't real or that the CGI was bad.

The look inside the gorge is done well. Imagine Frank Darabont's The Mist but set inside of a mountain with a red tint. It's creation and existence were just plausible enough that I could believe in it.

The action scenes were awesome. I loved the first battle scene when Miles and Anya first see the creatures. The last hour was pretty much non stop action and with constant escalating tension and scares/surprises. The last hour made me think this could have been a hell of a video game.

Sigourney Weaver is in the movie for like 5 minutes as a stock villain. You know she's the bad guy the second you meet her. Ultimately her character felt like kind of unnecessary to the story but her role wasn't big enough that it detracted from the film.

The movie had a conclusive ending, which surprised me. I'm hoping that means that Apple avoids the urge to make a sequel since its the most viewed Apple movie. The story is a great one off.

9/10. Entertaining action/horror movie. This was one of my most anticipated movies and it didn't disappoint. The only thing I didn't like about it was the inclusion of Sigourney Weaver's character. Everything else was great.

Nice reference to Frank Darabont, a very talented fellow...

[BloodshotUSA]

Originally Posted by Latheofheaven

Nice reference to Frank Darabont, a very talented fellow...

Darabont is one of the true GOATs. It's a shame The Walking Dead fiasco killed his passion and he hasn't directed a movie in 18 years.

Looks like he's finally making a comeback now and directing 1-2 episodes of the last season of Stranger Things.

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

Darabont is one of the true GOATs. It's a shame The Walking Dead fiasco killed his passion and he hasn't directed a movie in 18 years.

Looks like he's finally making a comeback now and directing 1-2 episodes of the last season of Stranger Things.

Ah... so there is some truth to that! I had heard that he was one of the main guys who created the series and then vehemently disagreed with the direction that they wanted to take it. At least I THINK that is what I read. He was likely right, at least from a creative perspective, although clearly the show was hugely successful. I didn't care for it because it was just an excuse to show the survivors blowing away 'Zombies' in various fashions. Not my thing, at least trying to watch it at first, found it quite boring. Just watching a bunch of graphic violence does not a good show make in my lowly and wretched opinion. But, I honestly don't know exactly what the deal was with the show and Darabont.

[BloodshotUSA]

Originally Posted by Latheofheaven

Ah... so there is some truth to that! I had heard that he was one of the main guys who created the series and then vehemently disagreed with the direction that they wanted to take it. At least I THINK that is what I read. He was likely right, at least from a creative perspective, although clearly the show was hugely successful. I didn't care for it because it was just an excuse to show the survivors blowing away 'Zombies' in various fashions. Not my thing, at least trying to watch it at first, found it quite boring. Just watching a bunch of graphic violence does not a good show make in my lowly and wretched opinion. But, I honestly don't know exactly what the deal was with the show and Darabont.

Darabont created the show and the first season was a huge hit. For season 2, Darabont and AMC began to disagree on budget and story. They fired him at the beginning of season 2 and used his volatile personality as an excuse to get rid of him and claimed his season 2 work was "unairable". Afterwards AMC hired just "yes men" to do what they want and make the show as cheaply (and blandly) as possible.

They cut Darabont out of the profits of the show even though he created the series. I don't think he was even listed as a creator in the credits after he got fired. He took them to court over profits in 2016. In 2021, AMC agreed to pay him $200 million and give him future royalty payments.

So he won big time even though AMC kind of ruined him professionally for awhile.

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

Darabont created the show and the first season was a huge hit. For season 2, Darabont and AMC began to disagree on budget and story. They fired him at the beginning of season 2 and used his volatile personality as an excuse to get rid of him and claimed his season 2 work was "unairable". Afterwards AMC hired just "yes men" to do what they want and make the show as cheaply (and blandly) as possible.

They cut Darabont out of the profits of the show even though he created the series. I don't think he was even listed as a creator in the credits after he got fired. He took them to court over profits in 2016. In 2021, AMC agreed to pay him $200 million and give him future royalty payments.

So he won big time even though AMC kind of ruined him professionally for awhile.

Wow, what a story! Thanks for the information, I never knew all that. I'm glad he finally got right from them. Maybe now he can 'regroup' and make some Killer stuff!

As far as Season 2 stories go, that slightly reminds me of the 2nd season of Millennium. Not the acrimony or firing, but Chris Carter was so busy working on the X-Files and also the first film I think, that he just let Glen Morgan and James Wong, two of the greatest X-Files writers ever take over and basically do whatever they wanted to do for Season 2 with no oversight.

Well, those guys took the show off in quite a fascinating direction dealing much more strongly with religious, mythical, and apocalyptic overtones. Whereas the first season Chris was basically just doing stories about creepy serial killers, which some are very good, but it was pretty much the same thing after a few shows (although the Pilot episode is F'n Killer!)

Personally, I feel Morgan and Wong are F'n Brilliant! I absolutely love the 2nd season of Millennium way more than the first and really dig how they introduced all the religio-metaphysical stuff, it was great! But, after Carter got done with the film and checked back, he was not too happy about what they did with the show and in the 3rd season kind of brought it back to where he wanted it, although better than the first season.

Like Darabont, I REALLY wish Morgan and Wong would have continued making films. Their movie 'THE ONE' starring Jet Li was fantastic! And, I believe they did the first 'FINAL DESTINATION' film. I really wish they had continued making more movies, but I guess either they or the studio didn't do a very good job on the remake of 'BLACK CHRISTMAS' and one or two others, and after that I guess they just gave up. Shame...