Director: Joel Edgerton
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 108 minutes
Every year there are one or two films that come completely out of left field and surprise audiences with how good they are. The Gift, directed by actor Joel Edgerton, is one of 2015’s biggest hidden gems. Released through Lionsgate via Blumhouse Productions you could be forgiven for thinking that The Gift is an archetypal horror, you would however be very wrong as it is instead a really well thought out and put together thriller.
The premise is rather simple – two old school friends Simon (Bateman) and Gordo (Edgerton) have a chance encounter in a furniture store and attempt to reconnect. Problems start to occur when Gordo gets a little too attached to Simon and his wife Robyn (Hall), constantly showering them with presents and turning up at inappropriate and unexpected times.
What makes The Gift stand-out and worthy of your time is the way that Edgerton spins his story, and it really is his story as he wrote it. Events start well before descending into a nightmarish game of cat and mouse with the characters cast into roles which are forever changing as the plot develops and evolves. There are so many side shifts and turns which all lead to a really powerful ending that stays with you way past the end credits.
Because of its small pool of characters this is a story that will sink or swim depending on the skills of its lead cast. Luckily for Edgerton, there are solid performances from the three central characters, himself included. It’s a change of character for Jason Bateman who takes a hiatus from playing the clown to sink his teeth into this, much darker material. It’s a career shift that works, though does take a little while to get used to. Rebecca Hall is fantastic as the sympathetic Robyn who just wants an easy life and for everyone to get along. Robyn isn’t quite the typical victim wife and shows a savviness and strength that is lacking in many of her cinematic counterparts. It is writer / director Joel Edgerton however, that sucks the audience in with his awkward yet charming portrayal of Gordo. You really feel sorry for him despite all the creepy things he’s doing.
Another string to The Gift‘s bow is that it holds up to a second viewing well and, given the nature of the film, actually sheds some more light onto elements that you might miss the first time around.
With The Gift, Joel Edgerton has produced a surprising and chilling tense thriller. Immersive and thought provoking, it is the perfect gift (pardon the pun) for anyone with a taste for the dark and twisty.
The Gift arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD on Monday 7th December.
