Overview
A seemingly perfect marriage unravels when the past resurfaces, revealing dark secrets.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- darkly unnerving
- foreboding
- late night thriller viewing
- halloween movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a smart, subversive, tightly controlled psychological thriller led by strong performances, while noting its reliance on familiar genre conventions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Simon and Robyn's carefully planned new-home life is destabilized by Gordo's repeated uninvited visits and mysterious gifts.
The central conflict depends on a horrifying secret from Simon and Gordo's high-school past returning after more than 20 years.
Robyn's investigation changes her understanding of Simon, Gordo, and the consequences of what happened between them.
Robyn begins questioning how well she knows Simon as the couple's relationship is pressured by Gordo's presence.
Films like The Gift, and why
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
shared psychological suspense, suburban domestic unease, and buried-past themes
Gone Girl
shared morally corrosive marriage drama, escalating paranoia, and twist-driven thriller structure
Arlington Road
shared suburban paranoia, mysterious intruder tension, and unsettling revelations about personal identity
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Edgerton
- Release Date
- 2015-07-31
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (3594)
Cast
- Joel Edgerton
- Rebecca Hall
- Jason Bateman
- Tim Griffin
- Allison Tolman
- Busy Philipps
- Adam Lazarre-White
- Beau Knapp
- Wendell Pierce
- Mirrah Foulkes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Gift about?
- A meticulously controlled suburban thriller turns an old school secret into a devastating test of marriage, memory, and moral responsibility.
- What is The Gift like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Gift as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Gift violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Gift as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Gift?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a smart, subversive, tightly controlled psychological thriller led by strong performances, while noting its reliance on familiar genre conventions.
- Which films are like The Gift?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Gone Girl, and Arlington Road.
- How long is The Gift?
- The Gift runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Gift?
- In United States, The Gift streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
