Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
"Bait" man?
Pat - wrote on 05/31/2016
The Gift, written and directed by Joel Edgerton, shines in a particular way no movie has made me feel since David Fincher’s Gone Girl. This movie grips you right from the start, with a married couple being stalked by a strange man named Gordo in the form of giving gifts. What this movie succeeds at are a lot of things, but the most important aspect of success in the film is the fact that it lets you be the detective. Throughout this entire movie you may find yourself going back and forth on who to root for, which is true mystery right there.
There are pretty much three characters in this movie, and to our fortune, all three roles are acted perfectly. Jason Bateman nails it along with Rebecca Hall, and Joel Edgerton as Gordo. The film touches on themes like...well I am not going to …
Rating of
N/A
Raffiniert
cinegeek.de - wrote on 03/07/2016
Ist das einer dieser Filme, in denen sich ein alter Bekannter zu Hause einschleicht? Ein "Home Invasion Thriller"? Das Ehepaar Simon und Robyn (Jason Bateman und Rebecca Hall) lebt in einem grosszügigen modernen Haus mit Panorama Fenstern. Drum herum ist es grün, wir befinden uns in den Bergen vor Los Angeles. Dann spricht Gordo (Joel Edgerton) die Beiden an. Offenbahr ist er ein alter Schulfreund von Simon. Er wirkt einsam, kommt uneingeladen, macht Geschenke. Schliesslich will Simon den Kontakt abbrechen und Gordo wird unangenehm... Bald stellen sich Eskalationsstufen ein und alles wird in Frage gestellt. Wir befinden uns mitten in einem Katz-und-Maus-Spiel, dass Klischees lieber vermeidet als in sie zu stolpern. Manchmal leidet die Glaubwürdigkeit der Figuren darunter, denn The …
Rating of
3/4
The Truth Hurts
Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/01/2015
The Gift is the rare film that not only keeps you on your toes, but does so in a way that is both clever and unnerving. Joel Edgerton's directorial debut gives me high hopes for his future behind the camera. Plus, he proves that Jason Bateman can play manipulative and scary just as well as he can play the funny guy.
We open with Simon (Bateman) and his wife, Robyn (Rebecca Hall) in the process of moving from Chicago to California. Simon is in line for a new job and Robyn is trying to find stability after losing a baby. Soon after, while shopping, they run into Gordon "Gordo" Mosely - who Simon went to school with. After finally realizing who he is, they chat up a little and head back home. Soon enough, Gordo is leaving them gifts and stopping by unannounced. Though Robyn finds him a …
Rating of
3/4
The Gift
lastonetoleave - wrote on 08/27/2015
The Gift (2015) R Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a married couple whose life is going great. Then, in walks Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an old high school classmate who starts sending Simon mysterious gifts that may unlock the past that he doesn’t want to revisit. I loved this film that is full of so many twists that every time I thought I had figured out what was going to happen, it would turn out I was completely wrong. Joel Edgerton (who also directed the film) is brilliant as the strange and needy Gordo. Bateman is perfectly cast as Simon, the seemingly nice husband who may have something from his past to hide. The film really revolves around Robyn, and Hall is up to the task of playing the very complex wife who thinks Gordo is worth keeping as a friend. I am not …
Rating of
3.5/4
Let Bygones Be Bygones
Unknown - wrote on 08/10/2015
'The Gift' is not the typical domestic stalker thriller that the trailer made it out to be. No, this is a very smart and unconventionally unnerving story. It's a perfectly paced slow build focused on engrossing character dynamics. These people feel real and layered. They are hiding secrets that, when exposed, will threaten personal relationships and alter their lives for the worse. The subtle tension built from various encounters with Gordo is based in the reality of the situation. His over-friendliness and unpredictable nature has an overbearing quality that leaves you wondering when he'll show up uninvited next and what he is capable of. Certain scenes showing wide sections of the house leave you anticipating his face in a window or hallway. It generates the paranoid feeling …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Gift
Mike.A - wrote on 08/07/2015
Oh, I love surprises.
"The Gift" is Joel Edgerton's debut as a feature film director (he also stars in the film), and sweet Jesus is it good. "The Gift" is an expertly crafted stalker thriller that messes with audience expectations the same way a high school girlfriend messes with emotions. It is genuinely suspenseful and surprisingly really involving. The film gets you caught up in the tense dynamic between the three leads - who all do a tremendous job - and will leave you absolutely stunned as it draws to a close.
Ignore the trailers, kids. "The Gift" is wonderfully unconventional. I cannot praise Joel Edgerton enough for his great work as a director. He crafts shots and builds tension almost seamlessly while getting you completely wrapped up in the darkness and pain behind …
