The Gift
The Gift

Movie spotlight

The Gift

2015
Movie
108 min
English

Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon's high school acquaintance sends their world into a tailspin.

Insights

IMDb7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes91%
Metacritic77
Google Users79%
Director: Joel EdgertonGenres: Thriller, Mystery, Drama

Plot Summary

A young couple, Simon and Robyn, are starting their new life in California when an acquaintance from Simon's past, Gordo, unexpectedly reappears. Gordo's increasingly persistent and unsettling presence begins to fray the edges of their relationship, as past secrets and present-day anxieties surface, leading to a terrifying confrontation.

Critical Reception

The Gift was widely praised by critics for its suspenseful storytelling, strong performances, and skillful direction. Many highlighted its ability to create a palpable sense of unease and its effective subversion of genre tropes. Audiences generally responded positively, appreciating the psychological tension and the film's unexpected twists.

What Reviewers Say

  • A masterfully crafted thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

  • Praised for its chilling atmosphere and strong performances, particularly from Joel Edgerton.

  • An intelligent and unsettling film that explores themes of guilt, manipulation, and karma.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciated the film's suspenseful nature and surprising plot developments. Many found it to be a well-made thriller that delivered on its promise of tension and psychological depth, though some found the ending slightly predictable.

Fun Fact

Joel Edgerton wrote the screenplay for 'The Gift' in just six days, inspired by a personal experience where an old acquaintance showed up unannounced at his house.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
mattwilde123

mattwilde123

This film was good. The acting was good. It was well written and had good plot twists. It did get a bit too predictable and over-the-top by the end. ★★★

talisencrw

talisencrw

Being a) the shortest boy in my class in my early years; b) the smartest; and c) adopted by parents of mixed ethnicity (which was a rarity in my small city at that time, the mid 70's), I was a natural target for bullies. At every conceivabl...

Reno

Reno

> In a rage for revenge, the GIFTS can be our handy weapon. Firstly, it was well written by Joel Edgerton as well debuted as a director with it. That is only because of comparing with other over hyped crappy mystery-thrillers. Frankly, t...

Frank Ochieng

Frank Ochieng

Traditionally, horror films and psychological thrillers follow a predictable path in their themes of dot-to-dot suspense. Rarely does a suspense piece deviate away from the formulaic blueprint that make these types of flicks the familiar fr...