The best way to watch STX Entertainment’s new film The Gift is to go in knowing as little about the film as possible. The trailers are marketing the film as a psychological revenge thriller, and while that is sort of true, what you will get is something more along the lines of a European psychological drama. This will undoubtedly divide audiences, who will enter expecting a Lifetime-y soap opera (which is what I thought the film looked like). 

After moving to his hometown to start a new chapter of their lives, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), they cross paths with Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an acquaintance from Simon’s school days. Once Gordo begins making unwarranted house calls and leaving random gifts at their doorstep, Simon and Rebecca ask Gordo to leave them alone. This sets off a chain of events that lead Rebecca to dig into Simon and Gordo’s history with each other. That is all you need to know about the film. Now go see it.

Written and directed by Edgerton himself, The Gift is a huge surprise from the first-time director. He clearly knows how to work a camera, as many shots of the film are haunting and desolate. It can be tricky to pull off the trifecta of directing, writing, and starring in a film, but Edgerton pulls it off with aplomb.

Bateman is the complete opposite of Michael Bluth here. A common complaint I have about him is that he always plays the same character. That is not the case in The Gift. From the start, Simon is extremely unlikable with almost no redeeming qualities. It is refreshing to see Bateman get down and dirty with the role, but his character’s detestability makes you wonder why Robyn got married to him in the first place. A certain suspension of disbelief is required to buy into it.

Faring even better is Hall as Robyn. Hall has flown under the radar for quite some time, always playing a supporting role in films (though she did receive a Golden Globe nomination for Vicky Cristina Barcelona), but The Gift should get her some much deserved attention. She portrays Robyn as a smart, resourceful woman who isn’t just “the wife.” When she begins to doubt her sanity, you really feel for her (and loathe her husband). It is a role reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer’s in What Lies Beneath.

Supporting turns by Allison Tolman, Busy Phillips and Tim Griffin, while minor, are also strong. Of particular note is Tolman, whose breakout role in FX’s Fargo series earlier this year really put her on the map. She doesn’t have any standout moments in this film, but she is the most prominent side character and provides a much-needed support system for Hall’s character.

What The Gift does remarkably well is have the characters mirror the audience’s thoughts. As soon as I found myself thinking “she should do this,” someone on screen would say my thought out loud. It’s refreshing to have that happen in a film, as it shows that these characters are at least moderately intelligent.

As mentioned above, The Gift is a slow burn. It takes a little bit of time for it to really get going (we must sit through three dinner scenes in the first 30 minutes), but it’s never boring. There aren’t any big action set-pieces, nor are there any jaw-dropping twists (though plot twists are present). Horror fans will be happy to know that there are only two jump scares in the whole movie, but they are actually handled well (other filmmakers, take note).

Like this year’s It Follows, many people may walk out of The Gift with a feeling of “that’s it?” It is a film that will stick with you for days, though (I’m on day 2 as of this writing and can’t stop thinking about it). You will probably find yourself liking it more and more the more you think about it.  The Gift is absolutely worthy of becoming the sleeper hit of the summer.