Review of The Gift (2015) by Griffin J — 02 Apr 2016

In this movie we see Joel Edgerton write, direct, and co-star in one of the year's best thrillers. The film stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall as the young couple Simon and Robyn, and begins after they move from Chicago to a town in California in which Bateman's character grew up. What follows is a psychological roller coaster ride that kicks off when Gordo (Joel Edgerton) shows up, saying how he and Simon have history together. The Gift is actually more of a story about Rebecca Hall's character, however, and her trying to figure out what these two men are hiding from her. It's her investigations and questions that move the plot along.

Ultimately, the plot shows how, no matter how much you may love or trust someone, there are always going to be things from their past that they hide. One minor flaw the film has is that, initially, Robyn seems apropos to a lot of mysterious and downright creepy stuff that happens. The weird gifts that Gordo keeps dropping off at their house, her husband blatantly dodging certain questions, just seems like if I were in her shoes and was new to the neighborhood, I'd probably be more suspicious. Let's just say that if Simon was married to Skylar from Breaking Bad, the film probably would have been over in an hour or possibly even less.

But the mystery is still there, and the editing does a great job at making the audience second-guess itself and wonder who exactly to believe. Definitely one of the more overlooked films of the fall season, and should not be missed.