I’ve been a fan of traditional YA science fiction novels for over 60 years, and while I don’t typically go for suspense or horror films, I made an exception for The Gorge (2025)—and I’m glad I did.
The film centers around a mysterious and deadly gorge in an undisclosed northern hemisphere location. Guarded by advanced automated weapons and monitored by highly trained individuals on either side, the gorge seems to contain a powerful, hidden threat. These “keepers”—one from the Western nations and one from the Eastern Bloc—maintain order and system checks but are also lethal weapons in their own right.
We meet Levi, a former Marine sniper recruited to serve a one-year term as the western keeper. On the eastern side is Drasa, a deadly assassin with a past shrouded in mystery. The two are instructed to remain isolated and avoid any contact. What follows is an unexpected slow-burn romance, initiated by the exchange of handwritten messages on improbably large sheets of paper—an odd detail that somehow works.
Adding to the tension, the previous keeper, upon completing their year, is killed during extraction—highlighting just how secretive and dangerous the assignment truly is.
As Levi and Drasa grow closer, Levi constructs a massive zip line across the gorge to meet her. But his return trip is sabotaged, triggering mines and forcing him to parachute into the forbidden gorge. Drasa, fully aware of the dangers, arms herself and jumps in after him.
Without giving away major spoilers, I’ll stop there.
The Gorge blends horror, science gone rogue, and survival against overwhelming odds. The visual effects are impressive, and the tension builds with every scene. Levi and Drasa’s bond adds emotional weight to the action-heavy plot.
While the story holds together well through most of the film, the final two scenes feel a bit like a recycled twist from The Bourne Identity—a slightly disappointing end to an otherwise gripping movie. Still, I strongly recommend The Gorge to fans of sci-fi thrillers, especially those who enjoy character-driven stories with a pulse of romance.