77
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90TheWrapJames RocchiTheWrapJames RocchiNothing here feels cheap or hasty, which is why the horror, when it comes, is all the more chilling and grim. Slick, sharp and legitimately terrifying, The Gift is a truly brilliant thriller — and, one hopes, the first of many features from Edgerton to come.
- 83HitfixGregory EllwoodHitfixGregory EllwoodEdgerton, who also wrote the screenplay, shows a masterful touch in playing with conventional expectations.
- 83Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallTampa Bay TimesSteve PersallThe Gift is B-movie melodrama at its lurid finest, and worth a look.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJon FroschThe Hollywood ReporterJon FroschTaken on its own undemanding terms and considered within its not very original framework, Joel Edgerton’s feature-length directorial debut is a pleasant — or pleasantly unpleasant — surprise, hitting its genre marks in brisk, unfussy fashion and raising a few hairs on the back of your neck along the way.
- 80Time Out LondonTime Out LondonThe Gift will have you triple-locking the doors and rushing to pull the curtains.
- 80CineVuePatrick GambleCineVuePatrick GambleThe Gift might not smash the boundaries of genre filmmaking but therein lies its appeal; a smart, well-made thriller that balances high-minded cinema with genre thrills.
- 75Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeJoel Edgerton's boilerplate direction is a blessing for a genre increasingly saddled with literal visualizations of madness.
- 75The PlaylistKatie WalshThe PlaylistKatie WalshThe true star of The Gift is Edgerton as director. His deft, controlled maneuvering of plot, character, style, and tone is damn near perfect for his feature debut — even if it is in service of a very standard genre piece.
- 70Screen DailyJohn HazeltonScreen DailyJohn HazeltonInitially, it plays like an atmospheric but predictable stalker thriller with not much more than style – and maybe the casting of the always watchable Jason Bateman – to recommend it. Later, though, it turns into a considerably more intriguing and twisty psychological drama.
- 70VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasWhere The Gift toys with our expectations is in its refusal to align itself with any one character or to manufacture obvious heroes and villains.