Netflix Mystery Thriller Is One Of The Most Unique Revenge Movies

The Gift follows a married couple, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), who encounter an individual from Simon’s past named Gorgo (Joel Edgerton). While Simon doesn’t initially recognize him, a series of strange gifts leads to a horrifying secret being uncovered, causing Robyn to question everything she knows about her husband.

Along with writing and co-starring in the film, The Gift is also the feature-length directorial debut of Joel Edgerton. As far as directorial debuts go, Edgerton definitely knocks it out of the park and keeps you guessing throughout. He also said his inspirations for the screenplay include Alfred Hitchcock and Cape Fear, and you can see the influence when watching.

While The Gift wasn’t exactly a massive blockbuster when it was released, it did rake in $60 million worldwide on a shoestring budget of just $5 million. It also got great reviews from critics, with particular praise going to Edgerton’s direction and the performances of the main trio. Particular praise went to Bateman who plays a smarmy character who isn’t exactly who he seems.

Jason Bateman has more than proven his dramatic chops in the series Ozark, but before that, he was mostly known for playing a straight-man role in comedies like Arrested Development. Ozark didn’t hit screens until 2017, so his performance in The Gift was an unexpected surprise and one that continues to prove comedic actors know how to crush a dramatic role.

It’s reason enough to wish Bateman would take on more roles like this, and it’ll be exciting to see him take on a dramatic role again in the upcoming 2024 drama miniseries Black Rabbit.

After making his feature-length directorial debut with The Gift, Joel Edgerton went on to direct Boy Erased, which is about the son of a Baptist pastor who must unwillingly attend gay conversion therapy. While the subject matter is vastly different, Edgerton once again impressed with his direction. While Edgerton doesn’t have any upcoming directing projects on his plate, Boy Erased and The Gift proves that he should find another project soon.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Hall helps anchor the film as the most sympathetic character and the one who is just as in the dark as the audience about the history between Bateman and Edgerton’s character. Hall recently starred in the blockbuster Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire, but The Gift is a much better showcase for her talents. Overall, if you like suspense and you haven’t seen this film yet, it’s worth giving it a try.

The Gift is one of those films that slipped through the cracks when it was released but can definitely find a bigger audience in the streaming era. It deserves to find a bigger audience, too. Head over to Netflix to check out.