The Gift (2015)
Mystery, Thriller
Directed By: Joel Edgerton
I've said it multiple times before, there is nothing more terrifying in this life than the human condition. The way a person appears to you is never guaranteed to be the person they actually are and you never truly know what they are capable of. The way our minds can take an idea so small and manifest it into something larger than life can be a cruel reminder of just how fragile we are as a species. Writer/director/actor Joel Edgerton plays with these themes in his directorial debut The Gift, a new psychological thriller that that manages to do a whole lot more than just give you a few scares. With a super intelligent script and incredible acting, Edgerton delivers one of the most original movies of the summer.
As far as plot goes, I'm going to give you as little as possible because the less you know about this movie the better. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple who has just moved out to California for a fresh start. They were having troubles back in Chicago they came out west, just north of where Simon grew up to try and reconcile their marriage and lives. Shortly after arriving in their new home however and old friend from Simon's past pops back into his life. Gordon aka "Gordo" (Joel Edgerton) and Simon run into each other at the store and after Simon barely recognizes him he starts leaving them gifts at their house. It becomes clear that Gordo remembers a little bit more about their history together than Simon cares to and before long he realizes the past may not be so far behind him.
Joel Edgerton wrote, directed, and co-starred in this film and that alone is highly impressive. Take into account the genius script he wrote and the incredible performance he gives and it makes it all the more incredible. He took a movie that we have seen done a hundred times before and twists it around to not only make it relevant to today but he makes it a film that digs so much deeper than home invasion scares. The Gift addresses some major issues we have today and shows the damage they can do when left unattended. This film will make you think and reevaluate the way you interact with people, both from your past and the present.
As good as Edgerton is however, this movie hinges on the performance of the two leads and Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall are phenomenal in their respective roles. Hall creates a lot of the fear and confusion that you feel throughout the film as she is feeling these things throughout. Jason Bateman is the real standout here though, we have seen him do some small dramatic stuff before but he is next level in this movie. He completely owns his part and lifts the intensity of this movie up astronomically. The screen time he and Edgerton share is some of the best acting work I've seen all year and they create an intensity I haven't seen in the movies in a while.
Blum House is once again proving that you don't need $100 million to create a great film nowadays. Made for about $5 million, The Gift is a testament to good writing and filmmaking and reminds us that all you need to make a great movie is talented people, not a ton of money. Working as the triple threat, Edgerton shows he has massive chops both behind and in front of the camera and should surely be given more opportunities to do it again. If you are feeling exhausted by all of the big budget, blockbuster movies then put your money towards something a little more deserving. This movie is the big surprise of the summer so far and you should all go see it.
As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!
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