The Gift (2015)

The Gift (2015) — directed and written by Joel Edgerton — is a tense, slow-burn psychological thriller about secrets, consequences, and how well you really know the person beside you. When young married couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) relocate to Los Angeles for Simon’s new job, a chance reunion with an awkward former classmate, Gordon “Gordo” Moseley (Joel Edgerton), quickly upends their comfortable life. What begins as awkward friendliness and a string of unsolicited housewarming gifts escalates into intrusive visits, creeping unease, and the unearthing of a painful secret from Simon’s high‑school past. Watching the film, you’ll experience mounting tension and moral discomfort more than jump-scare shocks: an atmosphere of quiet menace, claustrophobic domestic tension, and carefully staged confrontations that force characters (and viewers) to question memory, guilt, and motive. The performances—particularly Bateman in an against-type dramatic role and Edgerton as the inscrutable Gordo—keep the drama emotionally raw, while the screenplay steadily peels back layers of the past until the stakes become disturbingly personal. The Gift blends drama, mystery, and thriller elements into a character-driven story about revenge, remorse, and the ripple effects of bullying and deception. Expect an unnerving, morally ambiguous ride with a few surprises and a payoff that reframes much of what came before — ideal for viewers who like psychological tension, slow-building dread, and films that leave you thinking about character and consequence long after the credits roll.

Actors: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton

Director: Joel Edgerton

Runtime: 108 min

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

4.7 /10 77 /100 7.0 /10 6.5 /10