← Back to Reviews
 
THE GIFT

The only reason I went to see The Gift in theaters was because Straight Outta Compton was sold out. I was expecting nothing more than a cheesy, stereotypical thriller staring a comedic actor who wants to be taken more seriously, but what I got, was something completely different.

The movie follows a married couple who unexpectedly encounter Gordo, an acquaintance from Simon's past. Little do they know that their perfect lives will be thrown into a terrifying tailspin. What I enjoyed most about this film was the way that it was able to slowly reveal information that made the audience quickly change their opinion on each character. It was able to blur the lines between good and bad. I could easily see this movie being directed by someone like David Fincher, a man who masters drama through information. I was surprised to see that Joel Edgerton wrote and directed the film as well as staring in it, and this was a great directorial debut. Another great thing about this movie were the performances. I have been a fan of Jason Bateman ever since Arrested Development, but I never knew he was such a talented dramatic actor. Each character in the film has their moment to shine, and all of the actors do a very good job. The cinematography was done very well. The movie used slow moving cameras to give off an eerie thrilling vibe and it worked very well.

While there were a few jump scares in the movie, it didn't rely on them to frighten the audience. Towards the end of the movie especially I was on the edge of my seat. I love movies with good endings, and this had a great one. Me and my friend were theorizing long after the credits had rolled, and I can see the many different opinions that people can have about the movie. It is a film that you need to sit back and actually think about for you to fully appreciate it, and that is a rarity in modern thriller movies.

I have never been so pleasantly surprised with a film since The Lego Movie, and I would recommend this film to almost anyone. If you enjoy David Fincher or Alfred Hitchcock, you will love this movie, and I will be looking forward to Joel Edgerton's next film.