SCIENCE FICTION: “The Gorge.” / “Foe.” / “In The Shadow of the Moon.” / “Under the Skin.”

“The Gorge” (2025, Apple TV) science fiction romantic action horror. Follows two elite snipers who are ordered to guard a deep gorge without knowing what lies inside. 

       Okay, what “lies inside” or down there are the Hollow Men or mutated human beings. They were originally scientists and soldiers from a post-World War II experiment, whose DNA has fused with the local plant and animal life due to a chemical leak and an earthquake. These terrifying, animalistic creatures are trapped in a purgatorial state between life and death, losing their humanity to become grotesque, immortal beings driven by primal aggression. 

       A reference to T.S. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men," the backstory enthralls me. Mr Eliot described these lost souls as empty, spiritually vacant beings trapped in a meaningless, decaying existence. But “The Gorge” is not all that, unfortunately. This feature is a typical sci-fi banger that, of course, we see all the time till we get eerily bored. 

       This movie's grey and black photography tone is aesthetically cool, enhancing Rick Heinricks’ alluringly macabre production design. No argument there. The set is magnificent. (Not sure though if it is computer-generated, most likely.) 

       All in all, this is what I saw: A bold marketing of kickass weapons and drones. What are those? M4A1 and AKM rifles, Accuracy International AXMC sniper rifles, British L110 A1 light machine gun, and some more. 

       But the entire cinematic exercise has no backbone or plot point sense. All weaponry bombast, weird creature shenanigans, with a corny romantic confection. 🎥💻📽

“Foe” (2023, Amazon Prime) Australian (and U.S.) science fiction psychological thriller, based on Iain Reid's 2018 novel of the same name. A young couple is having marital issues when Junior is called to serve on a space station. 

       The always incredible Saoirse Ronan as Hen (Henrietta) Ronan and Paul Mescal as her husband Junior gave a sensitive performance but their efforts weren't able to save a plodding pace and dismal script. There's no thrill in this so-called psychological thrill. 🎥💻📽

“In The Shadow of the Moon” (2019, Netflix) science fiction thriller. In 1988 in Philadelphia, several people simultaneously hemorrhage with their brains seemingly having melted out of their facial orifices. Story: Thomas Lockhart, a Philadelphia police officer, investigates a serial killer who appears every nine years, leading him to discover the killer, Rya, is a time-traveler from the future. 

       Although quite fantastic in my tiny realm of scientific logic, I carried on. This sci-fi has enough mysterious allure and dramatic hold, dovetailed on Boyd Holbrook’s nutty but determined Thomas. Mr Holbrook can channel the weary cop persona allright. Never mind this is (probably) more incredibly far-reaching than the current madness of a hi-tech nerd. 🎥💻📽

“Under the Skin” (2013, Plex) science fiction. Scarlett Johansson as a female extraterrestrial disguised as a human who preys on lone men in the evening hours in Scotland, and then awakes to a strange realization. 

       This avant-gardish sci-fi feature is based on the 2000 novel by Michel Faber, and directed by Jonathan Glazer, who later gave us the brilliant historical drama, “The Zone of Interest” (2023).

       “Under the Skin” though obviously only appeals to the patient viewer. The narrative drags, the pacing is slumberous, and the endgame is predictable. But Ms Johansson's grip on the character kept me glued. 🎥💻📽