Review of The Gift (2015) by Nikita L — 02 Dec 2015

(Potential spoilers.. not really though.) The Gift, Joel Edgerton's directorial debut (who also wrote and produced the feature) is a psychological thriller film that did more than surprise me. This film managed to make me love characters I thought I never would and hate characters that seemed too nice to do anything wrong. In my eyes, this is more than a grand accomplishment and one you definitely don't see everyday at the cinema. The Gift is eerie, unpredictable, and completely satisfying. When the screen faded to black by the end of the film, my first reaction was "no! I need more!" After pondering it for a minute, I realized it was complete with no expense. The character's goal is fulfilled and while the journey to fulfill this goal is morally wrong, I couldn't help but be glad that the character on the receiving end got what he deserved.

The Gift also challenges the idea of characters as a whole and flips this dynamic on its ass. Some people are not who you think they are and some never change from High School to adulthood. I absolutely loved how Joel Edgerton tackled these statements. By using his well developed and uniquely arced characters to his advantage, he constantly kept me (the audience member) on edge and questioning what could possibly come next. The Gift is weird, slightly disturbing, and most certainly not for everyone however, I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a new and creative piece of cinema with plenty of thrill on the side.