The Gift is a psychological thriller written and directed by one of its stars, Joel Edgerton.  It is an engrossing exploration of human nature that turns the tables on its characters and viewers in equal measure.

When a couple (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall) meet one of his old high school friends (Edgerton), an uncomfortable triangle is formed for a while.  Bateman breaks it off but Edgerton is persistent; as he says, “you may be done with the past, but the past is not done with you.”  Their rivalry escalates, with Hall having to determine if Edgerton is really the creepy stalker he seems, or if Bateman is hiding something very important from her.

Edgerton’s tale is sharply drawn and stinging in its rebuke of people’s behavior to one another.  It is a revenge drama with a payoff that is more symbolic than visceral.  Visual symbolism involving glass, mirrors and degrees of transparency are rampant throughout the story, and the central motif, the gifts, delves into what is most important to these characters.  Moreover, the story is deliberately ambiguous in regard to several plot points, allowing viewers to interpret events in multiple directions.

All in all, this is a terrific directorial debut for Joel Edgerton.  He acts well, too, as does Rebecca Hall, yet I was most impressed by Jason Bateman’s performance.  Kudos to Edgerton for making a movie in which the other two actors are allowed to shine more brightly than himself.  I expected the drama to build to a fever pitch, and it never quite gets there, but instead resolves into a convincing view of one person rightly or wrongly trying to teach a lesson to another.  I highly recommend this to everyone.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  3 September 2015.