Review of The Gift (2015) by Alasdair B — 04 Nov 2015

Admittedly, when I saw the trailer for this film, I wasn't that impressed. It looked fairly interesting, but I had no clue it would end up being one of the best films of 2015. "The Gift'' is written and directed by Joel Edgerton. The cast includes Joel Edgerton, Rebecca Hall, and Jason Bateman.

Simon (Bateman) and Robyn Callum (Hall) are a married couple that seem like that have everything together. Despite their failing to have a child, the couple is ready to move on with their lives. Moving to suburban Los Angeles, Simon claims a new job, and the couple begin to settle in. One day, the couple happens to run into an old classmate of Simon's named, Gordo (Edgerton). After the awkward encounter, Gordo begins showing up at the Callum's house.

The performances in this film were just incredible. Speaking honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of Jason Bateman. Most of the time, I don't find him to be funny, or a good actor. However, in this film, he really steps up to the plate. He gave a very good performance, completely disappearing into his character. Also, Rebecca Hall is really good in the film as well. I think one of the obvious successes of this film is that the characters feel so real and organic. Allot of that has to do with the great performances. Last but not least, Joel Edgerton really surprised me. He was so captivating in this film. In a role like this, it's easy to overdo the performance, but Edgerton does it just right. He's awkward, creepy, and very subtle. The subtlety of his performance is what made him perfect for this role.

This film is probably the scariest movie I've seen in some time. It was a terrifying experience watching this. Why? An incredible feeling of tension. This film is tense as hell. You go into the movie with a lot of preconceived expectations. Get ready to have them all overturned. You have no idea what's going to happen, and even if you do, you do't know how it will go down. I was on edge the entire run time of the film. It reminds of allot of the film, Prisoners that came out in 2013. If you saw that film, you'll love this one too.

Writing, directing, and starring in a film isn't an easy task. Edgerton however does all three brilliantly. This man can direct a film. He has a natural talent for it. While the film drags just a hair here and there, for the most part, it was very well paced. The script was very impressive as well. All of the characters are given very good and very organic dialogue, making them feel like real people.

"The Gift'' is a surprisingly brilliant psychological thriller. It's got gorgeous cinematography, a solid script, and phenomenal direction. The performances are top notch, especially Edgerton's. He didn't overact, he was subtle, and that's what made him so creepy. This is a terrifying film from start to finish. It's one of those films that leaves you with a sense of extreme paranoia. Despite it's somewhat slow pace here and there, and a bit of a theatrical ending, this is one of the best films of the year.