For the second time this week I want to start off a review with “They DO make films like they did in the old days” no matter what seniors say and “The Gift” is such a movie.

Simon (Joseph Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) have just moved from Chicago into a modern home in Los Angeles. He is up for an important job at business and she is recovering from a miscarriage and the depression that accompanied her loss. When out on a shopping trip they bump into Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who reminds Simon that they were schoolmates in high school but he has no memory of him. The couple invite him for dinner and by the time he leaves Simon  remembers they use to call him “Gordo the weirdo”.

Over the next few days Gordo leaves a bottle of wine on their doorstep, surprises them with putting Koi fish in their new pond and in one note he sends along with the gifts or just to say hello feels the couple is pulling away from him so in a later note he says he is willing to let bygones be bygones and that is when “The Gift” turns into a psychological stalker thriller.

With a throwback to the thriller genre there is the dog that disappears, the fish that are killed, the walk down the dark hall, with music, late one night and not everyone is who they seem to be but who is the villain and who is in charge of what happens remains until twist by unexpected twist all is exposed and we come to an ending that will have you talking all for the right reasons.

Joel Edgerton also wrote and directed the film and turns in a forceful  performance as Gordo while Joseph Bateman’s character is not the usual one he plays.  Rebecca Hall gives an adequate performance which could have been much stronger. The supporting cast as neighbors and/or co-workers does just that, supports the leading players.

“The Gift” is a genre film that plays on your familiarity with twists on what you expect to happen and reminds you of the films of yesterday and told in a  fashion that will have you think, “I didn‘t see that coming!”.

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3IiZU9JBuE