HORRIBLE LOSSES
The Gift
Review by Paul Preston
Blumhouse Productions has established itself as the most prolific horror company working today, with eight horror (or slasher or what you’d call psychological thriller) films in 2015 and eleven slated for 2016. As fast as they move, I’m happy to see their latest release, “The Gift”, take its time.
Where one of “these movies” would normally deliver up a ghost, outlandish murderous premise or a roving killer, “The Gift” instead offers up a plausible plot of the past coming back to haunt you. Joel Edgerton plays Gordo, an old schoolmate of Bateman’s who slowly and charmingly ingratiates himself into the couple’s life through “pop-ins”, gift-bearing and dinner plans. What then becomes more threatening than death at the end of a blood-soaked knife is slow-played unease, guilt and most of all – unfolding secrets.
“The Gift” has already won when it starts – casting Jason Bateman. Sometimes Bateman’s delivery sounds like Michael Bluth. It just does. But that serves him well in “Horrible Bosses”, I wondered if his delivery would translate to a tense drama. But this is more like the Bateman from “The Kingdom”. Wait, you didn’t see that. Well, you should have. The point is, even as Bateman is hilariously put-upon as the head of the Bluth family in “Arrested Development”, he is also an authentic entitled white guy, a skill he employs to great effect here with shades of smugness and a better-than-you edge. He’s excellent.
Not slouches at all are Rebecca Hall and Edgerton himself, who, after a series of vastly different roles in movies, comes into this film with no established characteristics of what to expect, lays down a controlled performance that is both unsettling yet vulnerable.
The film is Edgerton’s directorial debut, yet is assured as any admired thriller you’ve seen and it bears repeating that the script (also by Edgerton) earns points by not hurrying and NOT layering in extensive jump-out-at-you distractions. The plot brings the uncomfortability and you just have to sit in it.
You’ll be happy to know that this is one of those “don’t let anyone spoil it for you” movies, so I’ll refrain from spilling any more plot. I saw “The Gift” late on a Saturday night and the large crowd was silent. People like these solid adult drama/thrillers, so Blumhouse, keep making them. I mean, eventually your massive output will outnumber all the large, loud movies for dummies that might otherwise populate the multiplex in the summertime.
Directed by: Joel Edgerton
Release Date: August 7, 2015
Run Time: 108 Minutes
Country: Australia/USA
Rated: R
Distributor: STX Entertainmnet
