GIFT, The

Joel Edgerton makes his startling directorial debut with a sly psychothriller about unwanted advances, unexpected consequences and unsettling the ghosts of the past.

When Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) accidentally run into Gordo (Joel Edgerton, who previously wrote MIFF 2014 Closing Night film Felony), one of Simon's old schoolmates, Simon doesn't even recognise the guy. It's been 20 years since high school and a lot has changed in that time. Gordo definitely remembers Simon, however, and uses the chance meeting to initiate an awkward friendship with the couple. But when Gordo’s odd, inappropriate behaviour begins to escalate, Simon is forced to confront a long-buried secret from his past: one that could destroy the new life he’s built for himself.

Tautly crafted and legitimately creepy, The Gift is a riveting psychological thriller from actor-turned-director Joel Edgerton. A claustrophobic, impeccably played character study with an eye for the unexpected, it’s a masterclass in high-wire suspense that will leave you wondering: who did you wrong, all those years ago?

"Superbly creepy … begins as an unironic homage to late-’80s/early-’90s yuppies-in-peril dramas like Fatal Attraction and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, before taking a turn toward the moral and existential minefield of Michael Haneke’s Cache." – Variety