THE GIFT

Joel has surrounded himself with a great cast in Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall and Allison Tolman, to bring his creep-tacular script to life. Boasting great twists and turns and an unsettling vibe that leaves you unsure where or who your attention should be focused on. Some fish die, a dog goes missing - coincidence? The vulnerable housewife starts to feel uneasy at home alone, lo and behold she self-medicates and her vague past “issues” find a place in the present. Breaking free from the formula, the light shifts from the couple’s weird new friend to the couple themselves, where things aren’t as bright and shiny as they appear. Simon’s business dealings start to show dirty cracks, as does his true nature. With the immediate consequences of bullying being experienced and felt by children and teenagers the world over, ‘The Gift’ really takes a harsh look at the long-term effects of this social disease and its consequences. Who does its victims and perpetrators grow up to become?

Not your typical stalker thriller, ‘The Gift’ turns out to be a unique gift indeed. Unexpected in all the right ways, Edgerton delivers masterful suspense and doubt that unnerves you to your core. ‘The Gift’ leaves you questioning not what was right and what was wrong, or who’s good and who’s bad, but people themselves and whether a leopard really can change their spots.