The Gift

This is so great. Almost as good as Gone Girl!

I vaguely remember the hype around the release of this movie, but from the ratings and other comments, you might think it was overhyped.

That being said, less than 20% of kids experience bullying and less than 5% experience extreme bullying. And YES, that means most kids follow a bully or are just thankful it isn't them. The ratings reflects that part of society that is the chiropractor Greg in this film. Friends with the bully that allow the bully to go too far. And for all the bullies that never get called on it? Well, just like in the film, they often just keep doing it just like the Simon character (Bateman) here does. Never ending.

It eludes to the wife enduring a lot of lies and why the new start in California, but I think it might have been better to open with more of what lead up to the move, so she could be a more sympathetic character. The drugs issue was clearly a bigger part of the move, but we never get to connect with her at that level. Multiple lines in the movie elude to her being just as much a victim of the bully as the other two her husband bullied.

But the rest, the idea that the bullied, in this case 2 of them, might react to being lied about and bullied basically in a more vengeful way than we see the bullied normally react, well, I think that accounts for the low score. A lot of bullies out there and even more of those Gregs out there who definitely wouldn't want to feel the wrath of vengeance the bullied might bare upon them if they look back at what they did or allowed to happen to others just to save their own skin.

Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hull and Joel Edgerton do phenomenal jobs. And the directing is great. Was it due the "scary" movie hype? No, but that was not what I saw in the trailer so I don't know what half these comments are claiming. It is a twisty thriller. No blood and guts, no secret bombs, no Freddie Krueger stuff. Just something very Orson Welles about it. You don't get the final answer, very Rosebud-esque. Was he, wasn't he? Fantastic story.

9.6/10. Again just felt like more could've been done with the wife's character in the lead up so her character was more sympathetic, but it stands without it well enough.

Right from the start you have a this uneasy feeling about Gordo but as soon as the story develops this feeling will shift. It did for me at least. I really liked this movie and applauded the ending which was not what I expected. [spoiler] as soon as it is given that Simon was a bully I started rooting for Gordo, especially when he gets beaten up by Simon, showing the true nature of him. When I thought he might've raped Robyn I felt disgusted but I believe he just wanted that idea out there for Simon and it didn't actually happen. Brilliant writing, making the bully feel completely shattered. [/spoiler]

Really good, I must say. Very good psychological thriller, very smart, and despite of being about a bullying thing it's very original, and kept me interesting the whole movie, and kept me thinking about it, trying to figure it out, and the atmosphere in those awkward moments helps a lot. I like the way this guy just leave Simon wondering if "that" happens or not, and even if I would've liked a more conclusive ending it is still good. Good movie, great story, great directorial debut from the guy of 'Warrior', and great performances, especially Bateman's.

Joel Edgerton has crafted a painstakingly intelligent film, one fully committed to both subverting and heightening expectations. It succeeds both as a dreamlike thriller and an intense character study, exercising subtlety in both areas but never lessening its impact to be labeled strictly as a pretentious art house film. This is one of the best movies of the year, and, without a doubt, one of the most innovative of this generation.

The trailer suggests something very generic, the film itself is anything but. There is a real sense of unease that is gradually built in the first half of the film, but it is all done through character interaction rather than attempts to scare, with awkward conversations and hints of unspoken histories that make this film intriguing. Edgerton seems intent on subverting every genre cliché you would expect to see, with the result that the audience is never quite sure where the film will ultimately go. And in an age of generic slash and stalk horror films, it is great to have a film that relies on ambiguity and uncertainty to create tension. The performances are all great, especially from Bateman. whose character embodies the gradual subversion that the film is playing on. There are a couple of nods to the genre with some well timed jumps, but they feel oddly superfluous. It is a shame then that the ending doesn't quite have the same tone of ambiguity and uncertainty the preceded it - it is not a complete misstep as it drive home the themes the film has been exploring, but there is finality and certainty offered at the end that feels unnecessary to emphasise a point. Still, this is well worth a look and Edgerton is now an interesting director to watch out for as well as an actor.

What breaks my heart when movies like this come out is that most people are so limited by their own movie tastes they can't appreciate a film that does great things in very different categories. As a Blumhouse movie, it stands out for the quality thriller that it is. Nothing mind blowing, but solid twists and drama along with excellent acting to support it.

Additionally though, this movie carries profound messages about the human condition and the effects our decisions have on each other. For anyone interested in the nature of humanity, how we hurt and damage each other, this movie certainly stands out.

On a rewatch it may get bumped up to a 9, but I'm always cautious about my hype. Probably gonna have to buy this one.

I thought this was a really good thriller that definitely takes you on a heavy ride with unexpected turns.

just watched, loved it... it's amazing how the movie is developed vs the trailer. Interesting gift, worth of your time, I recommend!

Appears to be another slasher-thriller at a glance, but ends up as completely the opposite. Without trying to spoil the film too much, it plays with the usual thriller tropes you usually see - even with one jumpscare as a nod - but it subverts our expectation middle way. It slowly turns into something completely different, and most importantly it feels humane: not just from mere sound and music as usually horror/thriller does it, but from the awkward conversation, the silent pauses, the worried expression. The three actors' performance make this film.

The ending remains ambiguous as the final reveal is lifted up from its curtain. Some noted that it leaves out the morale question, the sterile intake that puts our protagonist Robyn as not much more than a dressing, but I suppose it seems to give a slight nod to revenge trope, perhaps similar to what _Oldboy_ does: is a revenge, after all, worth the trouble and leave us as a better person?