The Gorge Remains a Streaming Hit on Apple TV

The Gorge remains a strong Apple TV performer

Nearly two years after its release, The Gorge continues to attract viewers on Apple TV. The 127-minute science-fiction thriller is currently ranked as the platform’s ninth most-streamed film, despite making a relatively small mark on wider popular culture.

Anya Taylor-Joy is a clear part of the film’s ongoing appeal. After gaining major attention through The Queen’s Gambit, she appeared in The Menu and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. She also voices Princess Peach in the Mario films, which have earned more than $2 billion combined.

A sniper mission with a dangerous secret

The film blends romance, science fiction and action thriller elements. Taylor-Joy plays Drasa, a covert operative working for the Kremlin, while Miles Teller portrays Levi Kane, a former US Marine.

Each character is assigned to protect one side of a mysterious gorge. Kane watches the west tower and Drasa guards the east. Their orders are clear: the two snipers must not make contact with one another.

That rule eventually fails, naturally, as the pair begin communicating across the divide. The gorge itself holds the film’s central mystery, with something deeply unpleasant waiting below. Its promotional line captures the setup: “The world’s most dangerous secret lies between them.”

Cast and creative team

Scott Derrickson directed The Gorge. His previous work includes Doctor Strange, The Black Phone and Sinister. Zach Dean wrote the screenplay after working on Fast X, Deadfall and The Tomorrow War.

The soundtrack was created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, adding another notable pairing to the film’s production credits.

Mixed reviews, steady audience interest

The Gorge arrived on Apple TV on 14 February 2025 as a direct-to-streaming release. Reviews were divided: it scored 57 on Metacritic and 62 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience users were more favourable with a 74 per cent score.

Supporters responded to the unusual combination of genres and the chemistry between the two leads. Critics who were less impressed generally felt the action sequences followed predictable patterns.

Why viewers keep returning

The premise gives the film an immediate stream of questions. Who placed the snipers in the towers? Why are they being kept apart? What exactly is hidden in the gorge? Those unanswered questions can be enough to encourage viewers to give the film a chance, even after reading mixed reviews.

Taylor-Joy’s current Apple TV profile may also be helping. She appears in Lucky, a crime drama releasing new episodes each Wednesday. The series is presently Apple TV’s third most-watched show, behind Ted Lasso and Silo, and ahead of Widow’s Bay.

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A genre mix built for discovery

The Gorge is not presented as a conventional romance, military thriller or creature-focused science-fiction story. Instead, it uses the tension between two isolated professionals to move through all three modes. That broad appeal could help explain its continued visibility on a streaming service.

Its performance also shows how streaming success can develop differently from cultural impact. A film does not need to dominate conversation to remain a regular choice in a platform’s viewing rankings.