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Eye For Film >> Movies >> The Gift (2015) Film Review

Reviewed by: Angus Wolfe Murray

Playing games and then changing the rules for dramatic effect is cheating. Says who? Polanski did it to great effect in Rosemary's Baby and now writer/director/actor Joel Edgerton attempts a similar twist in a minor key.

The scenario is off the peg. Nothing original yet. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a typical upwardly mobile couple from Chicago, drawn to California for his better job. They are follow-the-dots charming and rich enough to afford one of those movie set houses on the hill.

By chance, it seems, Simon bumps into Gordon (Edgerton), a high school acquaintance, better known as Gordo The Weirdo, who becomes Robyn's stalker and Simon's nemesis.

In the paranoid plot ratings The Gift remains a steady 6 until near the end when it leaps a couple of points. This is the cheaty bit when it's hard to know who's telling porkies and whether they have fatal consequences.

The tension depends upon the extent that Gordo has infiltrated Simon and Robyn's lives. Is he sick enough to take that kitchen knife and use it? Are we talking revenge here, or psycho delusions? The pace, however, is slower than a heartbeat and the audience has time to question motivation and a whole lot else.

The film is polished when it could have been sharp. Bateman's performance matches everything else he has done, professionally smooth and two dimensional. Hall, on the other hand, puts real flesh onto Robyn's bones. You believe her; you empathise.

The ending is a cop out. It's like the final episode of a new TV series in which subplots are left hanging in anticipation of Season 2.

Blood dries in the veins.

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The Gift is wickedly smart and playfully subversive, challenging the audience's expectations while leaving them leaning on the edges of their seats. Read critic reviews

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The gift videos, the gift photos.

When married couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) unexpectedly encounter Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an acquaintance from Simon's past, little do they know that their perfect lives will be thrown into a terrifying tailspin. At first, Simon doesn't recognize Gordo, but after a troubling series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts, a horrifying secret emerges. As Robyn learns what really happened between Simon and Gordo, she begins to question how well she knows her spouse.

Rating: R (Language)

Genre: Mystery & thriller

Original Language: English

Director: Joel Edgerton

Producer: Jason Blum , Rebecca Yeldham , Joel Edgerton

Writer: Joel Edgerton

Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 2015 wide

Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA): $43.8M

Runtime: 1h 48m

Distributor: STX Entertainment

Production Co: Blumhouse

Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Jason Bateman

Rebecca Hall

Joel Edgerton

Allison Tolman

Busy Philipps

Detective Walker

Wendell Pierce

Detective Mills

David Denman

Katie Aselton

Screenwriter

Rebecca Yeldham

Jeanette Volturno

Executive Producer

Couper Samuelson

Luc Etienne

Robert Simonds

Adam Fogelson

Eduard Grau

Cinematographer

Luke Doolan

Film Editing

Danny Bensi

Original Music

Saunder Jurriaans

Richard Sherman

Production Design

Terry Anderson

Costume Design

Terri Taylor

News & Interviews for The Gift

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Directors Guild Awards 2016 Winners

DGA Announces Nominees for Directorial Achievement in 2015

Critic Reviews for The Gift

Audience reviews for the gift.

While you gotta appreciate this psychological thriller playing with expectations about how such stories usually play out, it missed to take a few punches early on. The film stays fairly entertaining and is overall well done, but before the surprisingly evil ending there just isn't all that much getting your blood pumping. It doesn't help that when you think about the title, the twist is already right there in front of you.

A highly enjoyable and creepy thriller. Certainly makes you question as to who is the real villain here! A uniquely and we'll executed plot.

Wow, this movie really suprised me. Such a smart thriller with interesting twists. Well acted and well directed. A must see.

Engaging and smartly written. The gift offers suspense and mystery to entertain all who watch it.

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The Gift Ending Debate: Whose Gift Is It Anyway?

Warning: Spoilers for The Gift are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, and you totally should, please bookmark this page and wait until you’ve seen it before reading. Unless spoilers are your thing, in which case have at it.

With all of the makings of a sleeper end-of-summer hit, Joel Edgerton ’s The Gift had a pretty good second week at the box office. Part of that is probably because of strong word of mouth, but a huge portion of its success should be attributed to Edgerton’s darkly beautiful efforts not only as a co-star of the film, but also as a writer and first time director of a film that explores bullying in a truly Hitchcockian fashion – right down to the devastating ending that clouds the film’s events in a shroud of ambiguity.

The Gift’s ending drops a huge question as to whether or not the baby born to Jason Bateman ’s Simon and Rebecca Hall ’s Robyn was fathered by Robyn’s husband, or by her would-be rapist, Gordo (Edgerton). While we’re shown extremely compelling evidence in favor of Gordo's possible status as the father, there are clues spread throughout the film’s narrative that suggest that the stalker is merely screwing with Simon’s head – as retribution for the rumors Simon had circulated years prior which lead to his many hardships. So who’s the baby daddy, and who’s gonna be mad? Prepare to unwrap the truth with us, as we open The Gift’s biggest mystery.

Scenario 1: It’s Gordo’s Baby

The case for Gordo’s surprise foray into fatherhood is what the film leans very heavily on in its third act, so let’s first break down the scenario that proves that he did the deed. In the gift package left for Simon as he returns home from the hospital, there are three items: a key to the house; an audio recording of Simon and Robyn’s conversation in Gordo’s "home," which lays out his supposed plan to steal Simon’s wife and get her pregnant; and the video recording of Gordo’s intrusion.

While Robyn was indeed drugged, and the footage shows Gordo entering the home – clad in a monkey mask, just to scare Simon even more – entering the house and climbing on top of Simon’s unconscious wife, the footage cuts out before any sort of sexual activity can occur. This leaves a lot of doubt in the case for Gordo’s parentage for the young one born in The Gift’s third act. However, if context clues are to be weighed as evidence, then Gordo’s conversation with Robyn could be the smoking gun, as he tells her "good things happen to good people."

If Gordo is as much of a creeper as Simon believes he is, then this line is meant to be an admission of guilt, and proof beyond reproach that Gordo took Robyn in an unconscious state and gave her the "gift" she and Simon had been struggling to achieve – that of a newborn child. But taking a look into Gordo’s character, another narrative begins to unravel throughout the entire film’s central mystery. Let's explore the alternatives.

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Scenario 2: It’s Simon’s Baby

On the surface, The Gift paints Gordo as a raving psychopath. Yet, the film does as much work building a case for those who would defend him as it does for those who would condemn him. Most stories would paint the bullied as becoming the bully. Joel Edgerton’s writing doesn’t let the audience off that easily. A specific case in point is Gordo’s actions during the parking lot confrontation between himself and Simon, then the latter comes to "apologize."

While Simon characteristically bullies Gordo, and eventually causes physical harm upon him, Gordo does nothing to fight back against his assailant. Even throughout the preceding two acts of The Gift , we don’t see Gordo do anything out of sorts – except for the drugging of Robyn. Tabling that act for the moment though, the most Gordo ever does -- from a menacing standpoint -- is issue a foreboding warning to Simon that he should have thought before he acted. It all comes down to the fact that Gordo, while being victimized all of his life, never devolves into the total monster people would expect to see based on the trailers The Gift issued to promote its film.

If anything, Gordo seems like the type of person that perseveres through the slights dished out against him, and he does so with his faith in "good things" happening to "good people." Through this lens, his remarks in the hospital aren’t an admission of guilt, but rather a justification of faith. Robyn is a good person, so her wish for a child was granted; whereas Simon’s not-so good behavior has now saddled him with the thought that flesh and blood may not be just that.

With both sides of the equation out in the open, it’s time to evaluate the facts and reveal where we stand.

Final Ruling

From where the current facts stand, as well some other questions the film leaves in its narrative, it’s a safe bet that Gordo is not the father to Simon and Robyn’s child. The argument hinges on one moment in the film’s overall narrative – and that is the supposed rape of Robyn. Again, viewing his outlook on life, as well as the pattern of behavior that he established throughout The Gift , Gordo is the type of person that believes in justice through superior moral standing. Which means he can be as good of a manipulator as he wants, but he’ll never influence a person’s actions with behavior as dirty as their own. In my opinion, anyway.

Now, as the film previously stated, the reason for Robyn and Simon moving to his old stomping grounds is that of Robyn’s history with substance abuse – which could be the assumed cause of her miscarriage. Which begs the question: if Robyn were drugged by Gordo, would that be enough of an event to screw with her body chemistry in order to prevent a successful pregnancy? Surely, the havoc caused by reintroducing such foreign substances into her body could have set her body chemistry back. More importantly, we previously saw Robyn taking drugs stolen from her neighbor’s medicine cabinet, and as she stated to Simon, she had an incident where she fell down.

Considering that Simon took this story as a common occurrence, and she was doping at the time, Gordo would have to have the aim of El Rey from Planet Terror and some sort of magical DNA to get past the pollutants in Robyn’s system at the time. Again, that’s if Gordo even violated Robyn in the first place, which I don't believe happened. But even if Gordo snuck into the house, drugged and had his way with Robyn, and she didn’t report him – it wasn’t until an undisclosed amount of time later that she had become pregnant. That doesn’t make his actions right, by any means. It just doesn’t make him the father.

Of course, a case can be made for either side of The Gift’s central mystery. Evidence can easily be refuted, and new evidence can be submitted to counter whatever is left standing. But considering Joel Edgerton’s hard work and lack of narrative shortcuts in The Gift , it feels like when all the facts are reported and accounted for, Gordo isn’t as much of a weirdo as Simon painted him to be. He’s just an odd soul who’s had his day against the bully that took his place in a chain of figures that tried to completely ruin his life.

Which means, it’s now time for us to turn the debate over to you guys: whose baby do you think Robyn gave birth to? Is Gordo a daddy-o, or is Simon the father? Deliver unto our comments section your own truthful gifts, and feel free to debate our claims. While you’re at it, feel free to revisit The Gift in theaters now – be it alone, or with a group of friends who haven’t seen it! Oh, and make sure that you’re squared with your friends in terms of anything you need to say sorry about. Remember, "you may be done with the past, but the past isn’t done with you."

This poll is no longer available.

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

A married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts. A married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts. A married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts.

Joel Edgerton
Jason Bateman
Rebecca Hall
519 User reviews
339 Critic reviews
77 Metascore
2 wins & 12 nominations

Kevin 'KK' Keelor

Detective Walker

Detective Mills

See all cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia As he wanted to focus on directing, Joel Edgerton filmed his own scenes as Gordo after two weeks of shooting and completed them in seven days.
Goofs At around 1:19:50 into the movie, when Simon goes to "apologize" to Gordo and proceeds to pin him to the ground, the shot shows Gordo surrounded by sheets of paper that fell on the ground. In the next shot he's suddenly not surrounded by paper anymore. The shot after that shows him surrounded by paper again.

Gordo : See, you're done with the past, but the past is not done with you.

Connections Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Billy Eichner - Julie Klausner/Joel Edgerton/Vintage Trouble/Brad Wilk (2015)
Soundtracks After Written by Erik Anderson and Davis Bain Performed by Bain Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation

User reviews 519

Feb 5, 2021

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How long is The Gift? Powered by Alexa
August 7, 2015 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Official Instagram
15615 Castlewoods Drive, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA (Simon and Robyn's house)
Blumhouse Productions
Ahimsa Films
Blue-Tongue Films
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$5,000,000 (estimated)
$43,787,265
$11,854,273
Aug 9, 2015
$58,980,521

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 48 minutes
Dolby Digital

More to explore

‘The Gift’: A Great Thriller (Almost) Ruined By a Terrible Ending

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(This article contains spoilers for “The Gift.”)

As Criticwire noted last week , Joel Edgerton ‘s “The Gift ,” whose main claim to fame had previously been an advance publicity campaign that edged close to crossing the line between generating viral buzz and outright stalking, has ended up being one of the best reviewed movies of 2015: It currently sits in 28th place on Rotten Tomatoes’ year-to-date ranking. And yet, once the opening weekend had passed, it became clear that “The Gift’s” ending was striking a seriously sour note with some critics and viewers, in some cases turning what had previously been admiration or enjoyment into white-hot anger.

Edgerton, making his feature directorial debut, is a sure hand behind the camera, slowly tightening the screws as the movie constantly shifts the audience’s allegiances, and even our sense of who the protagonist might be, as deftly as anything since David Twohy’s “The Perfect Getaway.” We start off sympathizing with Jason Bateman ‘s Simon, who’s just moved back near his childhood home to start a new job, and especially his wife Robyn, a designer who’s taking it easy as the couple recovers from a miscarriage and tries to conceive another child. And we’re creeped out by Edgerton’s Gordon, a high-school classmate of Simon’s who seems to be nursing a grudge over some mysterious past wrong (or perceived wrong). It’s a movie that can make you start at what might be the sound of a footstep in a light-filled California house, where you’re constantly aware of the edge of the frame and what might be lurking just outside it. Edgerton isn’t afraid of jump scares, but he doesn’t rely on them either, preferring to build tension slowly and even ambiguously, as we’re never quite sure whether the real threat is from Gordon or from Simon’s reaction to him.

And then, just as “The Gift” is lining up its knockout punch, the bottom falls out. By now, we’ve realized that, far from being a victim, Simon is and always has been a manipulative creep: in high school, when he started a malicious rumor about “Gordo the Weirdo” that ruined his life; and as an adult, where he manufactures evidence to sabotage his rival for a professional promotion. (Although “The Gift” doesn’t make much of it, there’s a neat resonance between Simon’s penchant for manipulating information and his job in the digital security sector.) We realize that he’s been gaslighting Robyn, and that he may even have been drawn to her in the first place because she’s a recovering addict and thus prone to self-doubt.

Simon was within an inch of having everything he wanted: A high-powered job, a beautiful wife who can be convinced to give up her career and raise the child she’s once again carrying in her womb. But as Robyn’s pregnancy comes to term, she starts to realize who Simon is, and that she wants no part of it. Still lying in her hospital bed after giving birth, she tells Simon their marriage is over, and he returns the last in the series of presents Gordon has been leaving at their house since the beginning of a movie — and that’s when things get really messed up. Along with a collapsible baby carrier, the package contains a DVD that shows Gordon creeping into the couple’s house, drugging Robyn into unconsciousness, and crawling into bed with her, with the implication being that he raped her and may even be the father of her newborn son. Just as Gordon had to live with the malicious rumor Simon started about him in high school, so Simon will have to live with the knowledge that his wife may have been raped, the “poison in your mind” that never goes away. Of course, Gordon says, he didn’t really go through with it. But maybe he did.

Our spoiler-averse culture doesn’t allow first-wave reviewers to discuss a movie’s plot in depth, especially one that relies on tension and twists as much as “The Gift,” but few of the critics who talked up the film even hinted that its ending might be booby-trapped. (ScreenCrush’s Matt Singer threw up a red flag , and The Playlist’s Katie Walsh warned that “Robyn, who is the emotional core of the film throughout, is reduced to a psychological revenge battleground between two men.”) But once opening night had passed, the gloves came off. The Mary Sue’s Rebecca Pahle wrote that after nicely maintaining the ambiguity of whether Simon or Gordon is the movie’s villain, “the twist resets ‘ The Gift’ back to the same old territory. Creepy Gordo is a monster. And Simon still gets to be the victim. He may have been a bully who habitually lies to and psychologically manipulates his wife, but hey, he never sexually assaulted anyone! And he’s never confronted with the fact that his behavior is wrong, either…. And Robyn, who’s had the most development up to this point, gets demoted to an object that two guys can fight over.” At Comic Book Resources, Kristy Puchko said , “Edgerton concocted an interesting concept. He gave a compelling and creepy performance. His cast did a wonderful job of breathing life into these deeply flawed characters, ratcheting up the tension and drama to a dizzying peak. And then he chucked it all away with the kind of conclusion you’d expect out of brainless soap operas. He fouled the whole film in its final moments, leaving this critic disgusted.” And Flavorwire’s Jason Bailey concluded : As far as twists go, it’s a pretty stupid one; as a critic friend noted in the lobby after a press screening, the film seems willfully ignorant of the existence of DNA tests. But even without that objection, it’s still a mighty seedy button to hang your movie’s hat on — yet another example of (usually male) TV writers and filmmakers using rape as a shock button that’s pushed too frequently, and too carelessly. In “The Gift,” it’s not creepy, and it’s not clever; it’s just plain cheap.

It’s also, one could argue, part of the tradition of domestic thrillers that “The Gift” seems to pattern itself after; “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” uses a sexual assault as a plot point, to pick the most obvious example, while the narratives and tension of films like “Unlawful Entry” and “Sleeping with the Enemy” are doubtlessly fueled by the threat (explicit or otherwise) of rape. But they made those movies in a different time, and in a different culture, and for a movie like this to trot it out as some kind of crude, bullshit “gotcha” leaves an otherwise commendable picture with a decidedly sour aftertaste.

“The Gift’s” ending is a grievous misstep, and I wonder if it’s not the reason why the movie has been relegated to the dog days of August. But I don’t think it’s quite a catastrophic one. For one thing, it’s fairly clear that Gordon did not, in fact, rape Robyn. It wouldn’t fit the movie’s tone, which is uneasy but not utterly batshit, and it wouldn’t mesh with his intention, which is to visit on Simon the same kind of imaginary horror with which Simon plagued him in high school. If Simon were a more truthful person, Gordon points out, he’d be able to believe Gordon when he says he didn’t do it. But Simon has built his life on deceit, and simple trust is beyond his grasp. (You can argue, as some colleagues have, that it doesn’t matter whether Gordon raped Robyn, and that’s certainly true as far as “The Gift” exploiting the fear of rape as a plot device goes. But it makes at least some difference as to how we understand Gordon’s character, if only to know precisely what kind of monster he is.)

As for the climax stealing the focus away from Robyn, I’d argue that “The Gift” is consistently slippery about who its protagonist actually is. It’s a movie about points of view, about what we see and don’t see, in literal terms (What’s that shape in the dark?) and figurative. Edgerton frequently uses the trick of ending scenes in medias res and later making us question how they ended. After Robyn passes out in her house, the movie cuts to her waking up the next morning, and we assume she must have woken up just enough to drag herself into bed — an assumption the movie’s final minutes prove horribly wrong. Likewise, a confrontation between Simon and Gordon ends with the latter sprawled on the floor of a parking garage, humiliated but apparently unhurt. The next time we see him, he’s got cuts on his face and his arm in a sling. Did Simon do that?

In “The Gift’s” final shot, we see, through the blurred glass of a hospital door, Gordon shrugging off the sling as he walks away from the camera, and we remember that we don’t know him at all. We’ve been encouraged to see him first as a socially inept weirdo, then a menacing stalker, then a sympathetic victim of bullying, and finally some combination of the three: a monster, yes, but a monster Simon made. But has that vulnerability, too, been a trick to gain our sympathy? Perhaps he’s the one we should have been following, instead of a wealthy white couple with money and too much time on their hands — you know, the kind movies usually focus on. One of the few things we learn about Gordon is that he’s worked as a limo driver, and later a karaoke DJ: both facilitators of other people’s good times, rather than the subject of them. Just the kind of person, in other words, we might walk right past without noticing them, or casually injure and then go about our lives. But by the time the movie’s over, any chance of empathizing with Gordon has passed.

A rape scare is, to be clear, a pretty crude and queasy way to get us to the point; as Bailey and Pahle point out, it’s like something out of the misogynist domestic thrillers of the 1980s rather than a movie released in 2015. But if “The Gift” would have been a better movie without it, there’s still enough worth poring over not to let the bitter taste of the ending foul the entire thing.

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Movie Review – The Gift (2015)

August 6, 2015 by Scott J. Davis

The Gift , 2015.

Written and Directed by Joel Edgerton. Starring Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, David Denham, Busy Philipps, Alison Tolman, Katie Aselton, Beau Knapp and Wendell Pierce

A young married couple’s lives are thrown into a harrowing tailspin when an acquaintance from the husband’s past brings mysterious gifts and a horrifying secret to light after more than 20 years.

While comic book adaptations are the norm these days, another genre that continues to thrive is horror. Horror films are everywhere, whether they are through big-budget ones, cheap hand-held efforts or straight-to-DVD releases (which continue to thrive). But what we are arguably lacking is some good old-fashioned thriller-horror that makes us jump and gets inside our heads to ask: what would you do next? Thankfully, actor-writer-director Joel Edgerton has such ambitions, and his new film, The Gift , looks to fill the void.

The premise is simple enough: relocating to California to start the next chapter of their married life, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are set upon by Simon’s old high-school friend Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who lives locally. Soon, Gordo is visiting their new home with gifts and good intentions before his frequent appearances lead Simon to suspect some more menacing, despite Robyn’s more sympathetic leanings. It isn’t long though before Simon’s fears ring true, and old secrets begin to bring out the school bully in him towards Gordo.

What strikes you first when watching The Gift is just how misleading the marketing in the lead up to the film has been, not so much in terms of the content but who has helped bring the film to the screen. Producer Jason Blum and his Blumhouse company have made their name with a certain type of horror film, whether it’s supernatural occurrences ( Paranormal Activity ) or possible future crime anarchy ( The Purge ), but The Gift is a different beast.

More akin to classic thrillers from the 90’s like The Hand That Rocks The Cradle or Misery , Joel Edgerton’s precise effort harkens back to those thrillers of twenty years ago that brought tension and suspense from both its creepy tone and claustrophobic surroundings, ones that got under your fingernails and inside your head. The Australian’s direction is excellent throughout with both a keen eye for suspense and tension, while equally proving himself a dab hand at creating beautiful looking shots (Spanish DoP Eduardo Grau also deserves massive credit, as do the composer Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans for their creepy notes). And despite some obvious thriller tropes peeking their clichéd head in from time to time, the film still stirs enough thrills.

Edgerton, who has turned heads with his more romantic performances in The Great Gatsby , is excellent as the creepy Gordo, equal parts awkward and uncomfortable, transforming himself behind wigs and goatees that would make David Brent blush. Bateman does a fine job too as Simon, combining his typically biting façade with an altogether more intimidating repertoire that boils just enough, while Hall continues her impressive climb up the Hollywood ladder with another solid performance as Robyn, despite her character’s questionable arc in the second half.

While it may fall foul to some obvious clichés and leaves many questions unanswered, The Gift is as effective and chilling a thriller as we have had over the past few years. Edgerton’s unhurried but forceful direction is the star here, and keeps the tension bubbling away throughout, ably supported by solid turns from both he and Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall and The Gift is a package well worth accepting.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Scott Davis

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REVIEW: “The Gift” (2015)

At first glance “The Gift” looked like another movie about a creepy guy with a secret who dupes and then terrorizes a naïve family. We’ve seen this before, even last year with “The Guest”. But looks can be deceiving and just like the naïve families in these films, I was expecting one thing but what I got was surprisingly different – a mesmerizing swirl of twists, turns, and revelations that consistently subverted every expectation I had.

Jason Bateman is perfectly cast to play the confident and controlling Simon. He and his wife Robyn (played equally well by Rebecca Hall) have just moved to Los Angeles from Chicago after he gets a swanky new job at a large security firm. Their move was also influenced by hopes of leaving some difficulties behind and starting a new chapter in their relationship. It begins with them buying a stylish new home in an upperclass neighborhood.

The three central performances are vital. Bateman often relegates himself to lame raunchy comedies, but here he shows an extraordinary natural bend that tops anything he has done to date. Rebecca Hall continues to be one of our most earnest and expressive actresses, delivering superb work while tackling the most emotionally complex character of the three. But Edgerton’s performance may be the key. It would be easy for him to fall into conventional traps but he steers clear of that. Instead he gives us a character so thoroughly cryptic. One minute he has us challenging our sympathies and the next we are squirming in your seats.

Edgerton listed Hitchcock and Haneke among his influences for the film and you can sense it. A stealthy and tense Hitchcockian vibe flows from the title screen to the end credits. Edgerton has given us a crafty thriller made with an impeccable sense of pacing. It is deceptively smart, hypnotically intense, and most importantly it never tips its hand. This is one of the more impressive directorial debuts and Joel Edgerton has exposed himself to be a gifted filmmaker and storyteller. Here’s hoping we get a lot more from him in the future.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

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Common sense media reviewers.

New twist on familiar thriller setup has tension, swearing.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Presents a very vivid (and rather nasty) view of b

Both of the main male characters resort to underha

Brief fight between two men. A woman slaps a man.

Husband and wife kiss. Brief sexual references/inn

Several uses of "f--k," plus "mothe

A character frequently drinks Gatorade after runni

The wife deals with a former drug addiction; she s

Positive Messages

Presents a very vivid (and rather nasty) view of bullying and the long-term hurt it can cause.

Positive Role Models

Both of the main male characters resort to underhanded, sometimes cruel behavior to get what they want. The main female character is kind-hearted but not particularly strong.

Violence & Scariness

Brief fight between two men. A woman slaps a man. A brief jump-scare. Arguing. Dead fish in koi pond.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Husband and wife kiss. Brief sexual references/innuendo.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Several uses of "f--k," plus "motherf----r," "a--hole," "s--t," "son of a bitch," and "idiot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A character frequently drinks Gatorade after running. Heineken and Pabst Blue Ribbon beers also shown.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The wife deals with a former drug addiction; she steals prescription pills, hides them, and takes one. Frequent social or background drinking by adults. Characters sometimes seem a bit drunk.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Gift is a thriller that offers a new twist on the frequently used "psychotic intruder" formula ( The Boy Next Door , etc.). While there's plenty of tension, violence is limited to a brief fight, a slap, arguing, dead fish in a pond, and one quick jump-scare. Frequent strong language includes several uses of "f--k," "a--hole," "bitch," and "s--t." A husband and wife kiss and touch, and there are some brief sexual innuendoes/references. Characters drink fairly frequently, but always in social occasions (twice, it seems like people have had a bit too much). Reference is made to a character's former drug problems; she steals and takes a prescription pill from a neighbor. The movie addresses bullying and its long-term impact. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (5)
Kids say (11)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Creepy thriller best avoided...

Thriller, the gift, chills but a little dissapointing, what's the story.

Simon ( Jason Bateman ) has a good life. He's just landed a fancy new job and bought a new house with his wife, Robyn ( Rebecca Hall ); they hope to have a baby, though Robyn has already had one miscarriage. While shopping, they run into an old classmate of Simon's, the slightly strange Gordon "Gordo" Mosley ( Joel Edgerton ). Gordo begins showing up and offering gifts, making attempts at friendship, but his presence gives Simon the creeps. After Gordo is caught in a lie, Simon tries to break it off with him. But Robyn learns that something terrible happened between the two men during high school, and that things aren't as they seem.

Is It Any Good?

Making his feature directing debut, Edgerton takes the old thriller formula about a creepy, psychotic intruder and turns it upside down, giving it real-world weight and consequence. As the movie goes along, it hits all the expected beats, and Edgerton gets viewers thinking: Why won't this creepy guy leave this nice couple alone? But then, via some subtly skilled strokes, you start to think that maybe the nice couple isn't so nice, and maybe the creepy guy isn't so bad.

It's a welcome effort from Edgerton, who's part of an Australian film collective that routinely makes intelligent, compelling films ( Animal Kingdom , Wish You Were Here , etc.), largely in the crime genre; Edgerton has already worked on several screenplays ( The Square , The Rover ) and short films. As with the others, THE GIFT peers a little closer at a familiar genre, asking smart questions about what makes it human.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Gift 's violence . How strong is the violence here compared to what you've seen in other, similar thrillers? How does their impact compare? Do movies have to have moments of actual violence in order to be scary? Why or why not?

Do you think this movie improves on a familiar formula? Is it always possible to improve on stories that have seemingly already been done?

How much drinking is shown? Does it appear to be social, for pleasure, or for other reasons? What about the wife's pill-taking? What are the consequences? Are they realistic?

What does this movie have to say about bullying ? Is the bully dealt with in a way that seems reasonable or fair?

Movie Details

In theaters : August 7, 2015
On DVD or streaming : October 27, 2015
Cast : Joel Edgerton , Jason Bateman , Rebecca Hall
Director : Joel Edgerton
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : STX Entertainment
Genre : Thriller
Run time : 108 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : language
Last updated : March 27, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Gift (2015) : Movie Plot Ending Explained

The Gift stars Jason Bateman (from Hancock), Rebecca Hall (from Vicky Cristina Barcelona ) and Joel Edgerton. This is also Joel’s directorial debut. It’s the story of Simon (Jason) and Robyn (Rebecca) who move into the suburbs of LA. As they are setting up they run into Simon’s old classmate from school – Gordon (Joel). Gordon a.k.a Gordo is socially awkward and Simon explains to Robyn how Gordon was called Gordo the Weirdo in school. While the happy couple try and get more footing on their lives in LA, they continue to run into Gordo more and this starts to unbox more stories from his and Simon’s past. Here’s the plot and ending of the movie The Gift explained; spoilers ahead.

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Where To Watch?

To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barry’s Where To Watch .

Oh, and if this article doesn’t answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and I’ll get you the answer . You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site.

It’s not very difficult to guess that there is a lot more than meets the eye – there are “truths” that are uncovered and demons that are discovered. The movie plays out well, it keeps you interested and ends crisply, however with some pitfalls (discussed in the next section). Though there is nothing in the movie that really swings around and sucker punches you, it’s a good watch. Situations pan out naturally and nothing is over the top. I’d say it’s a great starter for Joel Edgerton, it’s definitely worth a watch.

The Gift: Plot Explained

Let’s go through the plot chronologically.

Simon, right from school, is a bully. He does whatever it takes to get him to a better spot in life. While the movie doesn’t show it, Simon would have screwed around with a lot of kids and their lives. One such victim is Gordon. For all you know Simon coined the name “Gordo the Weirdo”. Anyways, Simon is an asshole. He creates a fake story about Gordo being molested by a senior student in a car. Yes, it’s a fake story, Simon doesn’t molest Gordo, and he just fakes the story to screw around with Gordo. Yes, for fun, like I mentioned earlier, Simon is established to be an asshole. Gordo’s dad finds out about this and beats the crap out of Gordo to an inch of his life. Apparently, Gordo’s dad was an asshole in his own right. He felt Gordo needed a beating because Gordo could have been gay and it’s better to beat it out of him.

Years pass, Gordo’s life has been in turmoil because of that incident while Simon has made it big.

Simon and Robyn have been trying for a child and she has a miscarriage. To restart their life they decide to move to LA. Gordo then runs into Simon in LA and starts meeting his wife Robyn quite frequently. This makes Simon uncomfortable. While Robyn invites Gordon over for dinner and tea, Simon wants her to stop. Gordon invites the two of them to a dinner to return the favour. Simon and Robyn agree to go over to let Gordon know that the meeting needs to stop because they really never were friends and they can’t be now either. At the dinner, they get to find out that the gigantic house that Gordon lives in is actually his wife’s and that she’s left him. Simon proceeds as per plan and tells Gordon that they should stop meeting because it’s too awkward.

After that, Gordon kills the fish he gifts them (yeah, he gifts them fish but leaving a bunch in their little pond, ain’t saying Gordo is not creepy) and perhaps abducts their dog. There is no evidence that Gordon was responsible but it’s fair to assume. They also find out that the house belonged to some strangers, Gordon had simply broken in and made up the story of his wife and everything in general. Simon and Robyn go to the cops and they figure that Gordon was a chauffeur and had gained access to the house from the garage.

Robyn Drugged

Robyn starts being paranoid and feels that she’s being followed. She even steals prescription medicine and one fine morning, due to the apparent stress, she faints. The reality is that she is drugged by Gordon (which is revealed later). Gordon even tapes all of this with hidden cameras. Then he films himself molesting Robyn and cuts off the recording leaving question of what he did next. After this Simon and Robyn get a note of apology from Gordon with a mention of “let bygones be bygones”. This puts a question in Robyn’s mind.

Robyn now gets pregnant. We don’t know if it is Simon’s or Gordons. Poor Robyn actually, she had nothing to do with Gordon’s turmoil but is still the recipient of the revenge. Anyhow, no one at this point knows any of Gordon’s acts. Robyn gets to know from Simon’s friend Greg that Simon was an asshole in school and made up the molestation story and the plight of Gordon thereafter. She searches Simon’s desk to find a background check on Gordon. Note here that she also finds a file on Danny but ignores it, that one is for us, the viewers. Robyn confronts Simon with the details on his bullying but Simon has no remorse. She brings up the background checks on Gordon. Simon confesses to doing that and getting a restraint order for their safety. Simon finds out where Gordon is and unwillingly apologizes. Not only does he do that, he beats Gordon up for not accepting his half-assed apology. Simon’s quite the man, he comes back and lies to his wife about how smooth that went.

Simon’s Promotion

Month pass. Simon gets promoted over his other competition Danny. Simon has fabricated some damaging facts on Danny and this has gotten him fired. Simon orchestrates his promotion by taking out his competition. In a party at their home Danny attacks their home because he knows Simon has screwed him over and has lost his job as a result. Robyn’s water breaks and they rush her for her delivery. Robyn realizes that her husband is … well an asshole and doesn’t stop at anything for his personal benefit. She wants to leave him. Simon gets a call from his office and he’s told that the truth about his fabrication on Danny is out and is fired.

Simon goes home and finds a footage that Gordon has left. The footage has Gordon molesting Robyn when she’s unconscious but doesn’t reveal what he did with her next. Simon runs back to the hospital. Gordon meets Robyn, congratulates her and leaves. Simon chases behind Gordon but loses him in the lift. Gordon then calls Simon to explain the predicament of the father of the child.

The Gift: Ending Explained : What has Gordon done?

Well this is the pitfall in the story – is Gordon the mastermind who engineers the destruction of Simon’s life? Well not really, not all of it, at least there is no evidence presented in the movie. We know that Gordon has done enough with Robyn to mess around with Simon’s head on who the father of the child is. This is exactly what Gordon wants Simon to go through, great, evil. However, there is no saying how Simon’s firm finds out about his framing of Danny – this may or may not have been Gordon’s doing, most likely not. Simon is shown to have gotten what was coming to him thanks to him being an asshole but it all so conveniently coincides together. Consider this, Gordon is not responsible for Simon’s firm to find out about Danny’s framing. This means that Simon may have never been caught. Robyn wouldn’t leave him. Had it happened this way, Gordon would have simply introduced the “doubt” in Simons head. This could simply be confirmed with a DNA test. Given the footage, Gordon would be screwed for life whether or not he is the father. If anything Robyn would be the one fully messed up because of this. Simon, being the asshole, would get Gordon arrested and go back to living his life. Of course, if the DNA test proves to make Gordon the father, then that would mess them all up. On the other hand if the test proves Simon to be the father, then the only one who would get screwed is Gordon thanks to his footage. Looks to be that it took a lot of luck for the shit to hit the roof all at once for Simon to get messed up. Not really a satisfying revenge tale that way.

Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time. Click to browse all his film articles

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‘Carol Doda Topless at the Condor’ Review: The Cheeky Story of a North Beach Icon Who Broke Taboos

Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker's portrait of the trailblazing sex worker — before they were called that — offers a bonanza of vintage footage from the heyday of San Francisco's red-light district.

By Todd Gilchrist

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(Original Caption) Things began to bust out all over North Beach after a victory of the bare bosom in battle with city officials. Carol Doda, she of the "Topless-Jerk" shows off the headlines in front of the Condor where she performs. She then climbed out of this chaste costume and out of her performing clothes and again things on North Beach were back to normal.

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to identify moments that precipitated significant social or cultural changes. But that doesn’t mean that the people involved in those moments knew, or were actively working to achieve them, as they were happening.

Against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s, Doda became a lightning rod for controversy when her performance at the Condor Night Club helped transform the North Beach section of San Francisco into ground zero for the burgeoning strip club industry. Though some of film’s historical experts suggest that the cocktail waitress and dancer was consciously subverting cultural norms, McKenzie and Parker rely on period interviews with individuals who lived and worked in the area, and Doda herself, for the real story: She was given designer Rudi Gernreich’s topless swimsuit by Condor publicist “Big” Davy Rosenberg and asked to wear it while doing her usual dance routine, and the rest is history.

For her part, Doda embraced her overnight celebrity while also distrusting much of the attention it generated toward her — especially romantically. (When you’re famous almost exclusively for your beauty, how can you know if people are drawn to you for a deeper or more meaningful reason?) She was unlucky in love in her private life, though she reportedly had an affair with Frank Sinatra among other famous men. She fielded legal battles for the right to perform topless, and won, becoming the blinking icon on the sign of the Condor for years. But she was also iced out of many of the profits she generated for the venue, and was rebuffed when she tried to buy a stake in it from owners Gino Del Prete and Pete Mattioli.

Addressed but slightly less dwelled upon in the film is the complexity of her effect upon the then-burgeoning feminist movement, which viewed much of what she did as allowing herself to be objectified. Given that women of that time were shedding their brassieres (burning them, one commentator helpfully notes, was more of a myth), she was, essentially, both an embodiment of next-level bodily liberation and a shameful capitulation to patriarchal viewpoints. She exploited male desire for financial success while also, through supporting cosmetic augmentation, giving birth to an industry, and a perspective, that encourages women to scrutinize their perceived flaws — or inadequacies in comparison to a prevailing physical ideal.

Though it lacks that comprehensive, 1,000-yard view, McKenzie and Parker’s film assembles a fairly extraordinary repository of period interview and man-on-the street footage that highlights how wild and shameless red-light districts were even in their earliest days. Even better, it collects anecdotes from other dancers, musicians and club owners from the era, who mostly recall their sex-drugs-and-rock-‘n-roll heyday with a cheerful sense of nostalgia. In which case, was Doda at the forefront of the sexual revolution, or an embodiment of what would become its most harmful values? Again, it’s a complicated question. But the fact that its answer is too big to really countenance in what’s meant to be the story of one trailblazing person speaks to just how important she actually was at this particular moment in American history.

“ Carol Doda Topless at the Condor ” ably spotlights a woman who in no small way changed the world. It leaves it up to you to determine if that change was by accident or design — and more importantly, for better or worse.

Reviewed online, March 19, 2024. In Telluride Film Festival. Running time: 101 MIN.

Production: Parker Film Company presents a Picturehouse production. Producers: Lars Ulrich, Vince Palomino. Executive producer: Rick Morse,
Crew: Directors: Marlo McKenzie, Jonathan Parker. Screenplay: Marlo McKenzie, Jonathan Parker. Camera: Marlo McKenzie, Patrick Fogarty. Editor: Jennifer J. Mayer Music: Jack D's Band of Thieves.
With: Polly Mazza, Jerry Martini, Jimi Mamou, Judy Mac, Pete Mattioli, Charlie Farrugia, Art Thanash, Judy Mamou, Mike Boone, Sarah Thornton, Wednesday Martin, Benita Mattioli

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‘godzilla x kong: the new empire’: first reactions after the premiere.

The film is the fifth entry in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse franchise.

By Abid Rahman

Abid Rahman

International Editor, Digital

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GODZILLA and KONG in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure GODZILLA x KONG THE NEW EMPIRE

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was finally revealed to the public Monday night after the Legendary/ Warner Bros. film held its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and the first reactions have already hit social media.

The epic kaiju film sees the team-up we’ve all been longing to see, as Godzilla and Kong join forces to take down a new threat to the world.

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Critic’s Pick

‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus’: A Parting Gift From a Master Musician

The final concert of the Japanese virtuoso is captured in an aching meditation on mortality and legacy.

In a black-and-white image, a man sitting at a piano has both hands lifted in the air, near his face, head down staring at the keys.

By Alissa Wilkinson

The twin themes of “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” are art and mortality, and they’re twisted so tightly together that they become inextricable. Shot in black and white to match the keys of the piano, the film entirely consists of the influential Japanese musician’s final concert. One might say it was a performance for nobody — Sakamoto filmed alone in a studio, with only the crew there as audience. But it’s more correct to say it’s for us, a gift from a master.

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Sakamoto’s long career covered techno-pop, scores for movies like “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant,” and experimental and instrumental albums that stretch and play with the full range of sound. The songs he plays in “Opus” — 20 in all — span his career. For the fan, it’s an intensely moving experience.

But even for the viewer without much knowledge of Sakamoto’s work, “Opus” holds its own as the rare cinematic space for contemplation. There’s no context given, no attempt to create a narrative. Instead, the visual space is carefully filmed and the lighting manipulated to subtly shift the mood. Light and shadow are equally important. Everything from the panels on the studio wall to the inside of the piano to the leg of the stool on which the musician is perched becomes significant, all part of the performance. Sakamoto plays like a dancer, or a conductor; his hands shape the sound on the keys, but also take flight at times, as if he’s coaxing a tone out of the instrument, or himself.

Sakamoto filmed the concert over a week in September 2022. He and the film’s director, his son, Neo Sora, meticulously designed the look of the movie, including storyboards to show how the lighting would change. It is a kind of monochromatic take on the shifting of light as morning turns to afternoon, then evening. By the end, Sakamoto appears to be playing in inky blackness, with one light standing in for the moon shining over his left shoulder.

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The reason for this interest in invoking the passage of time is simple: Sakamoto knew his days were numbered. In 2014, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. His recovery was documented in the 2018 film “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda,” but in 2021 he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He died in March 2023 , about six months after filming “Opus,” at age 71.

Sakamoto is, for the most part, not visibly affected in the film. Piano performance is more demanding than it might appear, but Sakamoto’s face shows, for the most part, sheer joy — an invigorated happiness at the privilege of having put these notes together, of being able to enjoy them anew. Yet at one moment about halfway into the film, he struggles to recall a certain passage, and murmurs about being exhausted. It’s briefly surprising, a sudden note of fallibility injected into what was appearing to be a perfect performance. This, we realize, is difficult, and draining — a life’s work packed into a week.

Included in the musical selections are some numbers that Sakamoto hadn’t previously performed as solo piano arrangements, like “The Wuthering Heights” (composed as the theme for the 1992 film ). There are new arrangements of old songs, such as “Tong Poo,” which was first released as a single from the 1978 synth-pop debut album of Sakamoto’s band, Yellow Magic Orchestra. And there are familiar favorites, especially “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” composed for the 1983 film , in which Sakamoto also starred alongside David Bowie.

But for me, the songs aren’t the point of “Opus.” The camerawork, performance, lighting and music all add up to something larger than their individual parts. One audible element is Sakamoto’s use of the pedals, which on a grand piano have different purposes, all designed to alter the life and timbre of the note.

You can hear Sakamoto’s quiet pedaling throughout, and that made me start thinking about the relationship of time to the music itself. A piano is two kinds of instrument in one, a percussive and a stringed instrument. Small hammers strike the steel strings, causing them to reverberate, and the sound is amplified by the body of the piano. (At one point, Sakamoto manipulates some strings with small pins, causing an entirely different sound to come out of the instrument.) The length of a note is determined by how long the string is permitted to vibrate — but every note will, eventually, die off, a natural process of physics taking its course.

In a movie like “Opus,” that takes on a new meaning. Sakamoto’s career stretched nearly 45 years, and its resonance is broad, echoing across genres and generations. Musicians inspired by Sakamoto’s work now make their own music. In a sense, his mind and his ear will vibrate for a long time.

Some people say that after death, you lurk around earth as a ghost until the last person to know you dies, and your memory disappears completely. That seems related to the way a piano works: Even after the finger moves off the piano key, the string thrums with fading sound until it’s stilled and forgotten. At the very end of “Opus,” the piano plays, the keys depressing in turn, but Sakamoto himself is gone. His music, it suggests, is what lives on.

The final words to appear on the screen in the film are “Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.” Art is long; life is short. For those with generational talent, one outlives the other. And art — like “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” and the performance in it — is what ultimately preserves the memory of the artist.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus Not rated. In Japanese, with subtitles. Running time 1 hour 43 minutes. In theaters.

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

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Thoughts on the ( 2015) film " The Gift"? : r/movies
This movie is a horror thriller directed by first time director Joel Edgerton. " The Gift" features great performances from all the cast especially the three leads. Jason has never been better. It's thrilling and keeps you guessing. You question things left and right.
Official Discussion
Synopsis: A young married couple's lives are thrown into a harrowing tailspin when an acquaintance from the husband's past brings mysterious gifts and a horrifying secret to light after more than 20 years. Director: Joel Edgerton. Writer: Joel Edgerton. Cast: Jason Bateman as Simon.
"The Gift" Discussion/Recommendation : r/movies
The camerawork mimics this tone with very, very slow dollying and panning, to the point where you are almost unsure if the camera is stationary. It all fits together really well. This is also a movie that changes directions quite a bit so I would steer clear of any reviews or discussions of it before you see it to avoid spoilers.
The Gift movie review & film summary (2015)
"The Gift" is similar to "Cape Fear," or "Fatal Attraction," or, in another way, "The Night of the Hunter" in that it shows a family unit threatened by an outside force (usually an individual with an ax to grind). "The Gift" is a thriller, with plenty of scare-moments, but the fear unleashed is mainly psychological. The marriage itself is at stake.
The Gift
Oct 23, 2013. From director Sam Raimi comes the paranormal thriller The Gift. When a socialite from a rich family goes missing her father turns to a local psychic to help solve the case. Featuring ...
'The Gift': Film Review
In this throwback to '90s stalker thrillers, writer-director Joel Edgerton also stars as a man with an unhealthy fixation on an old schoolmate (Jason Bateman) and his wife (Rebecca Hall).
The Gift (2015) Movie Review from Eye for Film
The scenario is off the peg. Nothing original yet. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a typical upwardly mobile couple from Chicago, drawn to California for his better job. They are follow-the-dots charming and rich enough to afford one of those movie set houses on the hill.
The Gift
At first, Simon doesn't recognize Gordo, but after a troubling series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts, a horrifying secret emerges. As Robyn learns what really happened between Simon ...
The Gift Ending Debate: Whose Gift Is It Anyway?
Prepare to unwrap the truth with us, as we open The Gift's biggest mystery. Scenario 1: It's Gordo's Baby. The case for Gordo's surprise foray into fatherhood is what the film leans very ...
Review: 'The Gift,' a Stalker Thriller That Isn't What It Seems
R. 1h 48m. By Stephen Holden. Aug. 6, 2015. Even if " The Gift ," the Australian director Joel Edgerton 's creepy stalker thriller, didn't make a dramatic U-turn at around the halfway ...
The Gift (2015)
The Gift: Directed by Joel Edgerton. With Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, Allison Tolman. A married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts.
The Gift Movie Review
The Gift Movie Review. The Gift that keeps on giving... by Kumari Tilakawardane Aug 7, 2015. Review Specs Discussion (7) Movies & TV Review. 7. Cinema; The Gift Movie (2015) ... Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link. Related Content. The Paper Tigers Movie Review. By Casimir Harlow;
'The Gift': A Great Thriller (Almost) Ruined By a Terrible Ending
The Mary Sue's Rebecca Pahle wrote that after nicely maintaining the ambiguity of whether Simon or Gordon is the movie's villain, "the twist resets 'The Gift' back to the same old ...
r/movies on Reddit: I watched The Gift (2015) and I cannot stop
The baby was highly gordo as his say look in the eyes Gordo (bb) and Robyn (bb)eyes are dark /black in the movie Simon blue (BB)/ (Bb) Baby eyes where black (bb) The dominant trait is blue (BB) the resisive trait is black and brown (bb) And dominant express itself if it exist, so it's highly unlikely it's Simon child.
Movie Review
The Gift, 2015. Written and Directed by Joel Edgerton. Starring Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, David Denham, Busy Philipps, Alison Tolman, Katie Aselton, Beau Knapp and Wendell Pierce
The Gift (2015 American film)
The Gift is a 2015 mystery drama and psychological thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Joel Edgerton in his feature directorial debut, and co-produced by Jason Blum and Rebecca Yeldham. The film stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall as Simon and Robyn Callem, a couple intimidated by a figure from Simon's past, played by Edgerton.. It was released in the United States on August 7 ...
REVIEW: "The Gift" (2015)
"The Gift" is clearly his movie where he serves as co-star, co-producer, writer, and director. Edgerton has received several past writing credits but this original work may be his best. Even more impressive, the film marks Edgerton's directorial debut and it doesn't take long to realize he knows his way behind a camera.
The Gift Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 5 ): Kids say ( 11 ): Making his feature directing debut, Edgerton takes the old thriller formula about a creepy, psychotic intruder and turns it upside down, giving it real-world weight and consequence. As the movie goes along, it hits all the expected beats, and Edgerton gets viewers thinking: Why won't this creepy ...
The Gift
Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance f...
The Gift (2015) : Movie Plot Ending Explained
The Gift stars Jason Bateman (from Hancock), Rebecca Hall (from Vicky Cristina Barcelona ) and Joel Edgerton. This is also Joel's directorial debut. It's the story of Simon (Jason) and Robyn (Rebecca) who move into the suburbs of LA. As they are setting up they run into Simon's old classmate from school - Gordon (Joel).
'Late Night With the Devil' Review: Selling Your Soul for the Ratings
The host of the movie's invented late night talk and variety show is Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), a younger, snappier Johnny Carson who is desperate to climb to the top of the ratings.
The Gift (2015) Movie Review : r/movies
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3 Body Problem Episode 1 Recap: Did the Universe Just Wink?
What happens when science breaks? 3 Body Problem, the cerebral sci-fi thriller from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and True Blood writer Alexander Woo, traces the path of five young scientists who navigate a fraying world as the laws of the universe begin to crack. But who — or what — is behind it all? The mystery begins during China's Cultural Revolution in the ...
The Gift
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Godzilla x Kong First Reactions From the Premiere
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was finally revealed to the public Monday night after the Legendary/Warner Bros. film held its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and the first ...
ChatGPT Maker OpenAI Courts Hollywood in Meetings With Movie Studios
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The Gift movie review : r/Review
2.1K subscribers in the Review community. Do you have a product you want feedback on? ... Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, ... Reddit iOS Reddit Android Reddit Premium About Reddit Advertise ...
'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus': A Parting Gift From a Master Musician
Sakamoto filmed the concert over a week in September 2022. He and the film's director, his son, Neo Sora, meticulously designed the look of the movie, including storyboards to show how the ...

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