Film: The Gift

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

RATING: R for language
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 48 minutes

STARRING: Jason Bateman (Juno, Horrible Bosses, Bad Words)

Rebecca Hall (The Town), Joel Edgerton (Great Gatsby, Exodus)

DIRECTOR: Joel Edgerton (newcomer)

WRITER: Joel Edgerton (newcomer)

PLOT: A couple is ‘terrorized’ by an old acquaintance.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 It’s fun seeing Bateman in non-comedy roles. I like that he diversifies. He does a good job in this film. Reminded me a bit of his work in Juno.

2 Not bad for Edgerton’s first real crack at writing and directing. He is also plays creepy pretty well.

3 There are a bunch of small twists and such throughout the story, but most them could probably be predicted. However, there were a few in the audience who literally jumped at parts.

4 If you go running every day, why not take your dog with you? He could probably use the exercise and would enjoy being outdoors.

5 Instead of slowly exploring your house every time you hear a noise and freaking yourself out, consider investing in a security system.

RECOMMENDATION: Watch at home
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Fall Movie and TV previews