Review of The Gift (2015) by Tyler R — 05 Feb 2016

Here we have Joel Edgerton stepping behind the camera for the first time to tale the reigns of a little thriller he wrote. Fortunately, Edgerton channels his inner Hitchcock for one intense film with The Gift.

The film follows a newly moved couple who run into someone the husband knew from school. The beautiful thing about The Gift is it's slow burn throughout, which it maintains without any hiccups. And Joel Edgerton, the writer and director, knows how to keep each scene going long enough to bleed the right amount of tension out of it.

All of this compliments the writing, which takes a lot of turns, but they feel natural. As for the acting, the three main stars are pitch perfect, with Jason Bateman and Edgerton being absolute standouts.

The film breezes along nicely all the way to the end, where it drops a bomb on the audience, leaving them uncomfortable, but also mesmerized by this first outing from Edgerton.