Joel Edgerton has exploded in recent years as an actor, appearing in everything from THE GREAT GATSBY to EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS. While a lot of actors don’t attempt directing until after their glory days in front of the camera, Edgerton is making his feature directorial debut this summer with the psychological thriller THE GIFT.
Produced by Blumhouse and starring Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall, the trailer starts out like a clone of THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE or PACIFIC HEIGHTS before transforming into a twisty original creation. It is nice to see Bateman in something other than a comedy and Hall is always solid. It is hard to tell from the trailer exactly what Edgerton’s directing style is, but wearing the multiple hats of filmmaker seems to be a natural fit.
Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Simon’s high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo (Joel Edgerton) at first, but after a seemingly coincidental series of encounters proves troubling, a horrifying secret from their past is uncovered after nearly 20 years. As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she starts to question: how well do we really know the people closest to us, and are past bygones ever really bygones?
I am curious enough by the promise of a twist here to watch THE GIFT and find out if the payoff is worth it, but coming from Blumhouse this could easily just be a cheap marketing trick for a movie with nothing real to offer. I will definitely give it the benefit of the doubt based on the solid cast on display here.
THE GIFT opens on July 31st.
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