If you haven't found the perfect film to watch this Valentine’s Day yet, then look no further than Apple TV Plus’s new genre-bending horror movie as star Sigourney Weaver and director Scott Derrickson explain why it's the perfect date night movie.
"I think it is such a kick-ass Valentine's Day movie," says Weaver to 12DOVE. "It's a great date movie because it's terrifying and you're going to be sitting in each other's arms from, you know, the first half hour. And it's also one of those movies that sends thrills and chills up and down your spine the whole time, you don't know what's going to happen."
It may seem like an odd choice to release a horror movie on Valentine’s Day, but despite looking like an all-action, video game-like shooter movie from the offset, The Gorge is a love story at its core. "I think it's really smart that they chose Valentine's Day because it's a very romantic, suspenseful love story," adds Weaver.
- Sinister director says his new horror film The Gorge is partly inspired by Silent Hill and Until Dawn: "I love those games"
- Heart Eyes director describes the new slasher as a rom-com that’s just as "fun and violent" as Friday the 13th: "For me, it was about asking, 'What haven't I seen in a while?'"
Director Derrickson says the blending of multiple genres is what makes The Gorge an ideal V-Day flick. "You do have to like genre to like this film. But if a couple, or even one of the members of the couple, likes, you know, science fiction, action, horror, thriller, they're gonna get, you know, plenty of that," explains the helmer, adding that romance is the "glue" that holds the other genres together.
Although he’s best known for his horror pics including Sinister and The Black Phone, Derrickson says "the romantic elements" of The Gorge "spoke" to him because of his personal life. "I fell in love and got remarried in 2022 and it was just really shortly after that that I was given the script," says Derrickson.
Written by Zach Dean, The Gorge follows two highly trained snipers (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) who guard separate watchtowers overlooking a vast gorge. But as the pair protect the world from the evil that lurks beneath, they start to form a romantic bond. Weaver plays a headstrong businesswoman who appoints Teller’s character to the tower.
For more on the movie, see our interviews with Weaver on admiring co-star Anya Taylor-Joy and hoping to see her in Avatar 3, and Derrickson on how video games inspired The Gorge.
The Gorge premieres globally on Apple TV Plus on Friday, February 14, 2025. For more, check out our list of the best movies on Apple TV Plus, or keep up with upcoming horror movies heading your way.
