Apple TV+ has just released The Gorge, director Scott Derrickson’s newest horror film about two mercenaries ᴀssigned to watch over a mysterious gorge. The Gorge stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller as Drasa and Levi, who are stationed on opposite sides of the gorge. While the two snipers are instructed not to communicate with each other and focus on shooting anything that comes out of the gorge, they break the rules and begin to have feelings for each other anyway. In fact, The Gorge‘s review has already noted that the stars’ chemistry is one of the strongest aspects of the movie.
While The Gorge‘s Rotten Tomatoes rating is mediocre, the performances of its stars have already proven to be the highlight. The movie is very entertaining and keeps audiences at the edge of their seats, as it is revealed what the gorge is and what exactly is inside it. Despite the interesting science fiction elements, Drasa and Levi’s relationship is the undeniable heart of the movie. However, the more tender moments do not stop Miles Teller from also shining in the intense horror sequences as well, proving that the genre could be a great choice to return to in the actor’s future.
The Gorge Is Miles Teller’s First Horror Movie
His Past Performances Have Largely Focused On Action And Drama Movies
At this point in his career, Miles Teller is a household name who has starred in movies of various genres over the past decade and a half, but The Gorge marks his first true horror movie. Teller has largely made his name in drama and action movies such as Whiplash, War Dogs, and Top Gun: Maverick, and, unexpectedly, these types of movies have actually set him up perfectly to become a horror actor. In particular, the action sequences of Top Gun: Maverick and the psychological intensity of Whiplash feel like great precursors to Teller’s performance in The Gorge.
However, perhaps the closest performance to horror was Teller’s 2022 appearance in Netflix’s psychological thriller, Spiderhead, because of the mysterious setting and his character’s growing realization that something is very off. Like his previous performances, Spiderhead continued to prove that Teller is more than capable of portraying very intense moments for his characters, but even then the movie is not quite the horror that The Gorge is. Finally, though, Teller has now lent his talents to a true horror performance, and it works so well.
Miles Teller’s Performance In The Gorge Is Proof He Needs To Do More Horror Projects
Teller Is Well Suited To Action Horror Movies
Following the impressive success that Teller has found throughout his career so far, The Gorge is actually the perfect curveball because the movie utilizes the skills he has shown off in his action and drama performances but places him in an entirely new genre. His character, Levi, is a former Marine sniper who clearly has more emotional depth than he initially wants to let others know. However, when he sees Drasa on the other side of the gorge, Teller also gets to portray a slightly softer side to his character while fear permeates the air around them.
What makes Teller so well suited to horror action movies like The Gorge is his ability to very slowly build up the feeling of unease before the all-out horror begins.
At the beginning of the film, Levi realizes that many things about the gorge are too strange to explain, but it is only in the second half of the movie that the more physical aspects of the horror action movie come into play. What makes Teller so well suited to horror action movies like The Gorge is his ability to very slowly build up the feeling of unease before the all-out horror begins. Leading into The Gorge‘s ending, Teller proves that he has exactly what it takes to create the tension that great horror movies thrive on.
Miles Teller’s Upcoming Movies Explained
The Actor Has Several Projects Coming Soon
While The Gorge is a great addition to Teller’s filmography, he also has several other movies lined up for the future. Miles Teller’s next film will be Michael, which is a biographical drama about the life and career of the legendary singer Michael Jackson. Michael is currently scheduled to be released on October 3, 2025. Teller will appear as John Branca, who is the co-executor of Jackson’s estate, alongside Jafaar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, and more.
Following Michael, Miles Teller has two other films which have not yet received release dates. The Ark and the Aardvark is an animated film which will serve as a retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark. In contrast, Eternity is an unusual romantic comedy centered on the afterlife, which will also star Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner. While Teller currently does not have another horror movie among his upcoming performances, there is always hope that he will return to the genre following his impressive performance in The Gorge.
