What breaks my heart when movies like this come out is that most people are so limited by their own movie tastes they can't appreciate a film that does great things in very different categories. As a Blumhouse movie, it stands out for the quality thriller that it is. Nothing mind blowing, but solid twists and drama along with excellent acting to support it.
Additionally though, this movie carries profound messages about the human condition and the effects our decisions have on each other. For anyone interested in the nature of humanity, how we hurt and damage each other, this movie certainly stands out.
On a rewatch it may get bumped up to a 9, but I'm always cautious about my hype. Probably gonna have to buy this one.
[6.7/10] One of my favorite reads of Arrested Development is that despite his more decent demeanor, Michael Bluth is just as much of a self-centered jerk as the rest of his family; he’s just better at hiding it. It doesn't hold up completely. Michael cares about his son and shows some genuine decency at times in a way few other Bluths do. But especially on rewatch, you notice the subtle ways in which the show’s protagonist can be as narcissistic and harsh as his kin, despite his surface-level geniality.
That’s my favorite thing about The Gift. It takes that idea to its logical conclusion, casting Jason Bateman as a friendly, affable, and successful business man who passes for decent but harbors a past and a dark side that he manages to keep hidden away. Simon, his character, is essentially an alternate universe Michael Bluth, with the less savory qualities turned up to eleven.
It’s a fine showcase for Jason Bateman, who gets to pull a Bryan Cranston and use the aura of kind everyman the actor carries with him from his prior roles to underscore the mask that Simon puts on, and unleash the monster lurking beneath it. It’s not playing against type exactly, but emphasizing a darkness beneath that type that shows the malleability of that familiar persona.
The problem is that The Gift is strangely paced, oddly shifting in its perspective, and mostly anodyne in a way that leaves the power of that character and the performance largely wasted. The film, which really only has three characters, sets up a fairly straightforward dynamic. Nominal protagonist Robyn (Rebecca Hall) moves with her husband Simon to Los Angeles, an attempt to start over after a lost baby and a potentially related pill addiction. In L.A., the couple runs into Gordo, someone Simon knew from high school, who tries to befriend them.
The film sets up Simon and Robyn as representing contrasting perspectives on Gordo (played by the film’s writer-director Joel Edgerton). Robyn is patient and forgiving of Gordo, despite his clear social awkwardness and coming on too strong, while Simon highlights his weirdness and does everything he can to repel and be rid of the guy. Eventually, Gordo’s behavior starts to get creepier, and the film seems to be trying to establish a solid flip. Gordo, who seems to be creepy and has legitimate problems, is a decent enough guy deep down, whereas Simon, who is much more presentable and acceptable to polite society, is secretly a monster beneath that veneer.
Except that’s not really how things go. Yes, it’s revealed that Simon is an unscrupulous bully with a manipulative dark side, but Gordo turns out to be no great shakes either. The film frames its final reveal, that Gordo was gaslighting Robyn in particular as a way to get back at Simon for the abuse he inflicted on him when they were kids, as Simon’s comeuppance. But at a minimum, the film depicts Gordo as consistently unnerving Robyn, eventually dosing her, and potentially raping her, something the film leaves deliberately ambiguous.
That might work from a dramatic standpoint if The Gift were Simon’s story, even if it would unfortunately render Robyn mostly a prop through which Simon receives his just deserts. The problem is that the film casts this as Robyn’s story, of discovering that there’s something horrible behind her husband’s eyes, and something more understandable and pitiable about the guy who seems far more off-putting. And it spends most of the film telling that story, only to do a time jump, a shift to Simon as the point-of-view character, and some undeniable misdeeds from Gordo that serve to not only rip the movie away from Robyn, but muddle any point the movie intended to make or message it wanted to send.
Part of that seems to be a clear attempt to replicate the vibe of Rosemary’s Baby. There’s a similar sense of moving to a new place, potentially paranoid suspicions, a brief reprieve, and then confirmation that there’s dark things taking place, even and especially among the people closest to you. The big problem is that The GIft never comes close to replicating the sort of eerie atmosphere that made Rosemary’s Baby one of the most frightening movies ever despite a distinct lack of blood and guts or outright scares.
There is, in fact, something unnerving about the interludes Robyn spends in her new home, haunted by a sense that someone is watching her and invading her space at the same time she’s uncovering disturbing details about her husband’s past and present. But the cinematography and tone of the film do it no favors. Everything is depicted in cool blues and the staid perfection of affluent suburbia. There’s an argument that this highlights the shell Simon has erected around himself, but in practice, despite some horrific subject matter, The Gift comes out feeling sterile and detached, leaving the audience at a remove from the horrifying things taking place.
That’s magnified when the film can’t seem to decide on its focus. There’s some merit in Robyn’s psychological fear as Gordo stalks and haunts the place where she lives. There’s an intriguing story to be told about a superficially ideal relationship subsumed by pernicious habits and dark secrets. And there’s a worthwhile idea at play in exploring Simon’s efforts to present himself as an unquestionably good guy while behaving like anything but behind closed doors, and having his chicken comes home to roost.
But my mixing all three of these things together, and placing them all in a muted, almost anodyne setting throughout, The Gift can’t really capitalize fully on any of them. The film is well made and well acted, and there’s high points where it gives you glimpses of the better-realized movie lurking in there somewhere. And yet in the end, its mirror image Michael Bluth, its modern day Rosemary Woodhouse, and its scary but sympathetic stalker, don’t live up to their potential when the film they occupy can’t decide which of their stories to tell.
It's so good that I didn't like it. I should watch less trashy thrillers.
Right from the start you have a this uneasy feeling about Gordo but as soon as the story develops this feeling will shift. It did for me at least. I really liked this movie and applauded the ending which was not what I expected. as soon as it is given that Simon was a bully I started rooting for Gordo, especially when he gets beaten up by Simon, showing the true nature of him. When I thought he might've raped Robyn I felt disgusted but I believe he just wanted that idea out there for Simon and it didn't actually happen. Brilliant writing, making the bully feel completely shattered.
Bad, it started as a psychological thriller but it just didn't make much sense for me, got bored a lot
This is so great. Almost as good as Gone Girl!
You have to be careful what ghosts of the past you can accidentally meet on the street. ;)
This was waaaay to predictable
Appears to be another slasher-thriller at a glance, but ends up as completely the opposite. Without trying to spoil the film too much, it plays with the usual thriller tropes you usually see - even with one jumpscare as a nod - but it subverts our expectation middle way. It slowly turns into something completely different, and most importantly it feels humane: not just from mere sound and music as usually horror/thriller does it, but from the awkward conversation, the silent pauses, the worried expression. The three actors' performance make this film.
The ending remains ambiguous as the final reveal is lifted up from its curtain. Some noted that it leaves out the morale question, the sterile intake that puts our protagonist Robyn as not much more than a dressing, but I suppose it seems to give a slight nod to revenge trope, perhaps similar to what Oldboy does: is a revenge, after all, worth the trouble and leave us as a better person?
I'm a huge sucker for Jason Bateman, I'll watch things purely because he's in them. That's what happened here for this Joel Edgerton written and directed thriller about bad things happening to bad people. It's hard to discuss this movie without spoilers but basically you go in expected one thing, and getting it, and slowly the movie gradually turns into something else. Bateman is outstanding in this, playing a nasty character that I've never seen from him before, and his wife, played by Robyn Callem, and antagonist Gordo, played by Edgerton, do a great job of ratcheting up the tension through-out the movie until the very end, when everything explodes. If I had one complain its that I'm not sure I like that the movie ended on SUCH an open ended note, with a lot of horrible questions going unanswered.
A well acted thriller/drama where as the story unfolds you find out more about the characters than you expect. The film definitely isn't generic or predictable.
Fantastic thriller. It sure will make bullies think twice before hurting someone. It should be taught at schools. Doesn’t matter how young and dumb you are, your actions will always have consequences.
I really wanted to love this movie. What a shame.
This is a movie that I just love, Joel Edgerton did such a good job directing this movie. All acting is really good, the score is great just everything. This movie is slow but dosen't drag at all it consistently puts you in awkard situations and builds tension and keeps building on that tension making you on the edge of your seat for something to happen. Couldn't recommend this movie enough.
Decent thriller with some surprising plot twists.
I thought this was a really good thriller that definitely takes you on a heavy ride with unexpected turns.
Another thriller that was massively overhyped at the time of its release.
It reminded me a lot of The Guest; it’s simply too predictable if you’re paying attention, a lot of the character motivations are dumb, contrived or don’t make any sense, and the filmmaking is incredibly bland throughout (everything looks like basic coverage, uninteresting use of colour and light, sound feels like an afterthought).
It’s one of those scripts that demands a much better director at the helm, because the movie generally has a hard time creating memorable scenarios or twists, and I can already tell I’ll have forgotten about most of this within a week. The ending’s a nice, ambiguous choice, though.
The acting’s fine, I don’t think anybody’s being particularly challenged.
I didn’t hate watching it, there’s nothing incompetent going on here, but it’s an average, occasionally schlocky movie that doesn’t do anything special or different.
4.5/10
It could be predictable, but the plot tends to work. The two halves are badly balanced, with the first half where little happens, and the second half where instead all the events take place. The classic American film which entertains you on TV or on the plane, without being too deep.
A very interesting movie that seems to be a thriller but turns out not to be. What seems to be a stalker thriller film that keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat turns out to be a lead on, as the plot points about the main characters' past get jumbled and short sided, therefore leading to a confused audience. However, the ending sums it up pretty well by giving an indication of a much simpler plot about a guy getting revenge on a high school bully by messing with his and his wife's mind because of the way the bully tormented him with a lie and minds games in high school.
A disturbing psychological thriller, The Gift delivers some intense thrills. After moving back to his hometown with his wife, Simon Callum’s past comes back to haunt him when a former classmate from high school attempts to befriend him. Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, and Joel Edgerton lead the cast and give solid performances. But the pacing is rather slow, and the dark history between the characters is drawn out so long that it kind of loses some of its intrigue. Yet despite its weaknesses, The Gift is haunting and unsettling film.
Look, from what i saw, the movie just looked like a very good episode from a critically acclaimed drama series, so there you go.
just watched, loved it... it's amazing how the movie is developed vs the trailer. Interesting gift, worth of your time, I recommend!
Whoo, this is a crazy revenge thriller. Definitely worth the watch.
I have been meaning to get to this one for quite some time. I like Joel Edgerton, and I thought it was cool to see he was fully immersing himself into the genre by writing, directing, and acting in his own genre flick. And wow, he did an excellent job crafting this movie.
As the movie unravels, I found my self absolutely enthralled. The script and directing respects the audience and genre and do a terrific job at keeping the tense atmosphere throughout. The movie does say a lot about the power of planting ideas, dealing with and confronting your past demons, misguided ideas of masculinity, and more.
The acting is great all around. The main cast is the married couple played excellently by Rebeca Hall and Jason Bateman, as well as the creepy 'Gordo' played by Edgerton. Hall is the primary lead for much of the film, and she is excellent. Strong and sympathetic. I never felt strongly about Bateman, so take this how you will, but this was undoubtedly the his greatest performance I've seen from him. I won't go into detail, because it was such a pleasant surprise seeing him so... unpleasant.
I wanted to go a bit vague on the plot, it's not a super unique premise on paper, but its way handling the progression of the story, and how it subverts viewer expectations was done magnificently. A married couple moves near her husband childhood town, and an odd man from the husbands past becomes a part of their life. That's all you need to know going in, skip the trailer - it does not do the film justice. I read some critiques of the ending that I don't really agree with at all, it seemed some people took offense to it, but I found it fit the themes well and found it to be pretty fucking shocking
Just saw this on Showtime. I remember the trailer seemed interesting enough, on account it's from Blumhouse too. It's a simple thriller starring the Arrested Development guy, probably one of those ideas that was thought up as a joke, then turns out into a full length film. Oh, and Simon uses a black Nokia Lumia 920 in this one. I had to rewind a couple times to make sure which exact model it was.
The plot of the movie is surprising departure from the standard fair of thrillers. The movie has no action but the plot is delivered simply on the strength of the acting. The scenario is a bit far fetched and entirely unrealistic but it is surprisingly watchable. The movie is paced beautifully and you honestly feel swept along for the ride.
The past really does come back to haunt you, and this film shows it. I really enjoyed it, tence at parts, creepy at times, and good plot twists, but would of loved more to where it left you thought, but other than that brilliant! 7/10
Currently this movie is available on Netflix
Really good, I must say. Very good psychological thriller, very smart, and despite of being about a bullying thing it's very original, and kept me interesting the whole movie, and kept me thinking about it, trying to figure it out, and the atmosphere in those awkward moments helps a lot. I like the way this guy just leave Simon wondering if "that" happens or not, and even if I would've liked a more conclusive ending it is still good. Good movie, great story, great directorial debut from the guy of 'Warrior', and great performances, especially Bateman's.
Joel Edgerton has crafted a painstakingly intelligent film, one fully committed to both subverting and heightening expectations. It succeeds both as a dreamlike thriller and an intense character study, exercising subtlety in both areas but never lessening its impact to be labeled strictly as a pretentious art house film. This is one of the best movies of the year, and, without a doubt, one of the most innovative of this generation.
Review by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2015-08-23T15:00:12Z
The trailer suggests something very generic, the film itself is anything but. There is a real sense of unease that is gradually built in the first half of the film, but it is all done through character interaction rather than attempts to scare, with awkward conversations and hints of unspoken histories that make this film intriguing. Edgerton seems intent on subverting every genre cliché you would expect to see, with the result that the audience is never quite sure where the film will ultimately go. And in an age of generic slash and stalk horror films, it is great to have a film that relies on ambiguity and uncertainty to create tension. The performances are all great, especially from Bateman. whose character embodies the gradual subversion that the film is playing on. There are a couple of nods to the genre with some well timed jumps, but they feel oddly superfluous. It is a shame then that the ending doesn't quite have the same tone of ambiguity and uncertainty the preceded it - it is not a complete misstep as it drive home the themes the film has been exploring, but there is finality and certainty offered at the end that feels unnecessary to emphasise a point. Still, this is well worth a look and Edgerton is now an interesting director to watch out for as well as an actor.