my gift the movie review

Film Review: ‘The Gift’

Joel Edgerton gets his inner creep on as a vengeful high-school outcast in his familiar but effective directorial debut.

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

• Film Review: ‘Black Mass’ 9 years ago
• Film Review: ‘The Runner’ 9 years ago
• Film Review: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ 9 years ago

The sins of the high-school cafeteria come home to roost in “The Gift,” a coolly unsettling thriller that 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.” A modest but accomplished directing debut for actor and screenwriter Joel Edgerton (who also gives himself a plum role here), “The Gift” is a more psychological, slow-burn genre exercise than the psycho-stalker shocker it’s being sold as by DIY horror specialists Blumhouse and Robert Simonds’ newly launched STX Entertainment . But some supremely effective chills and good word of mouth could spell sleeper success for this Aug. 7 opener.

To an extent, “The Gift” functions as a riff on what might be Edgerton’s pet theme — that of an ordinary man undone by a little white lie that grows into a mushroom cloud of deceit. In Edgerton’s script for the absorbing 2013 Aussie police drama “Felony,” that ordinary man was a basically good cop who made an ill-judged decision to conceal his involvement in a drunken hit-and-run. In “The Gift,” our apparent Everyman hero is Simon ( Jason Bateman ), a sales exec at a computer security firm who has just moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles with his interior-designer wife, Robyn ( Rebecca Hall ). They luck into a beauty of a mid-century modern in the Hollywood Hills; he seems primed for a promotion at work. All that’s (conspicuously) missing is the pitter-patter of little feet, though not (as we soon learn) for lack of trying.

Instead, they acquire a different kind of houseguest in the form of Gordon (Edgerton), an unwelcome blast from Simon’s past who bumps into the happy couple (seemingly) by chance and, little by little, inserts himself ever deeper into their lives. At first, Gordon just wants to help, rather like the title character in French director Dominik Moll’s darkly funny  2000 thriller, “With a Friend Like Harry” (an American remake of which has lingered in development hell for the past two decades). Undeniably odd-looking (Edgerton plays the part with pasty, reddish-brown hair, an unflattering goatee and ’80s-style hoop earring in his left ear) and socially maladroit — back in high school, they called him “Gordo the weirdo” — Gordon proffers a series of increasingly extravagant housewarming gifts, effectively invites himself over for dinner and otherwise keeps popping up at the darnedest of times. And that’s before things really get too close for comfort. Rest assured: No bunnies are boiled to a crisp, but things do not end well at all for the denizens of a patio koi pond.

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Some people change dramatically after high school, Simon reasons (clearly referring to himself), while others remain the same. But as “The Gift” plays out, it becomes increasingly clear that both Simon and Gordon are still very much the same people they were 20 years before — one an unapologetic bully, the other his unwitting victim seeking payback for a shameful episode from their shared past. That basic setup gives Edgerton license to play with some venerable genre trappings — a mysteriously open faucet, a missing family pet, a shadowy presence encroaching on a foggy shower door — which, for all their familiarity, are deployed with a solid understanding of how to make an audience shift nervously in their seats.

Where “The Gift” toys with our expectations is in its refusal to align itself with any one character or to manufacture obvious heroes and villains. In a typical movie of this sort, Gordo’s efforts to make Simon’s life a living hell would eventually reach the point where the latter’s age-old trespasses — no matter how devastating — would pale in comparison with the former’s vengeful tactics. But Edgerton instead keeps our sympathies tilting to and fro on a knife’s edge, forcing us to constantly reassess which of these two men is the more lethal sociopath.

If “The Gift” isn’t ultimately as intricate or surprising a movie as “Felony” (which was directed by Matthew Saville), it remains the work of a sure-handed craftsman who knows how to keep a story moving and when to tighten the screws. Even at its most routine, the movie offers the pleasure of Edgerton’s own superbly creepy performance, which could easily have devolved into ghoulish revenge-of-the-nerd caricature, but instead turns Gordo into a simultaneously pitiable and unsettling figure — a dejected adolescent frozen in time. Bateman, who played some of these same themes for comic effect in his own 2013 directorial debut, “Bad Words,” seems completely at ease as a compassionless alpha who views the world in clearly demarcated terms of winners and losers. And Hall casts a sympathetic presence as the woman trying to sort out which, if either, of these men she wants in her life.

“A Single Man” d.p. Eduard Grau’s moody, low-key cinematography and editor Luke Doolan’s crisp cutting front a generally strong tech package.

Reviewed at Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, July 16, 2015. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 108 MIN.

• Production: An STX Entertainment release presented with Huayi Brothers Pictures of a Blumhouse production in association with Ahimsa Films and Blue-Tongue Films. Produced by Jason Blum, Rebecca Yeldham, Joel Edgerton. Executive producers, Jeanette Volturno-Brill, Couper Samuelson, Luc Etienne, Robert Simonds, Adam Fogelson, Oren Aviv.
• Crew: Directed, written by Joel Edgerton. Camera (color, widescreen), Eduard Grau; editor, Luke Doolan; music, Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans; production designer, Richard Sherman; costume designer, Terry Anderson; casting, Terri Taylor.
• With: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, Allison Tolman, Busy Philipps, Beau Knapp, Wendell Pierce, David Denman, Katie Aselton.

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• STX Entertainment

Summary 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 a ... Read More

Directed By : Joel Edgerton

Written By : Joel Edgerton

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My Gift the Movie

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• DVD & Streaming
• Drama , Mystery/Suspense

Content Caution

In Theaters

• August 7, 2015
• Joel Edgerton as Gordon; Jason Bateman as Simon; Rebecca Hall as Robyn; David Denman as Greg

Home Release Date

• October 27, 2015
• Joel Edgerton

Distributor

• STX Entertainment

Movie Review

Sometimes you just need a fresh start. A clean break from the past.

That’s certainly what Simon and Robyn are hoping for when they relocate from Chicago to Simon’s hometown in Southern California. His promising new job with an Internet security firm plus a beautiful new home would seem to be just what the doctor ordered to help the young couple put the trauma of Robyn’s recent miscarriage in their rearview mirror.

Alas, sometimes putting yesterday behind you requires more than just one or two tomorrows.

Still, things might very well have gone according to plan for Simon and Robyn were it not for a chance encounter with Gordon. Gordo, as he’s known, is an old high school friend of Simon’s. He’s eager to reestablish those ties … a lot more eager than Simon, who admits to his wife that Gordo’s nickname in high school was “Weirdo.”

Robyn’s a good deal more compassionate to Gordo than her husband is. But even she can’t deny that the dude is indeed acting, well, weird .

It all starts with Gordo’s housewarming gift left at the couple’s door: a bottle of wine. Then he starts showing up during the day while Simon’s at work and Robyn’s home alone. Robyn, whom Simon characterizes as a “door half open” kind of person, treats Gordo kindly, inviting him in for tea, dinner, conversation.

When Gordo reciprocates her hospitality, inviting the couple to dine with him at his house, Simon’s leery. But kindhearted Robyn prevails and the couple heads over to Gordo’s surprisingly lavish home … for an evening that turns seriously odd before the meal is even served.

Then things go from weird to worse.

Positive Elements

The Gift is a taut—though undeniably dark and disturbing—morality tale that unpacks the consequences of sins and secrets swept under the rug. Such things as bullying and slandering are shown to destroy lives and trigger dire recompense.

Simon’s treatment of Gordo grows increasingly worse throughout the movie, prompting Robyn to rightly beg her husband to make amends, to apologize. “He made peace with us,” Robyn pleads. “We have to make peace with him. I feel scared.”

Gordo acknowledges that “good things come from bad,” and that sometimes “the bad things can be a gift.” (But not positive at all is the way he seems to use that logic as the basis for “teaching a lesson” to Simon in a pretty monstrous way.) For his part, Simon does eventually see who how bad he has been behaving. He’s shown to be someone whose sins of arrogance, deceit and cruel bullying are his undoing.

The Gift also illustrates the dangerously destructive power of secrets in a marriage. Robyn eventually tells her husband, “I just realized I have no idea who you really are.”

Spiritual Elements

The morality-tale nature of the story is framed explicitly by Gordo, who leaves a note for Simon that paraphrases Psalm 7:14-15: “Behold, he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood, he has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and he falls into it.” Gordo also makes a passing verbal reference to God and religion.

Sexual Content

In high school, Simon and a friend, Greg, invented a story about Gordo being sexually assaulted by an older man, pairing it with another tall tale suggesting that the boy was gay.

Years later, Simon crudely tells Robyn he thinks Gordo’s obsessed with her, and that he wants to “nail you.” Making a crude sexual gesture, Simon sticks his finger out of his fly. We see Robyn’s bare back and shoulders through a foggy glass shower door twice. (The second time is in a nightmare featuring Gordo watching her.) Some of her outfits are formfitting and low-cut; she’s shown in a skimpy robe after getting out of the shower. Robyn and Simon are trying to get pregnant again, and they playfully nuzzle each other.

Gordo forcibly (and mockingly) introduces the idea, by way of a video “gift” he leaves for Simon, that he might have raped and impregnated Robyn (while she was unconscious). …

Violent Content

It shows him dragging her to the bed and pawing at her chest (while wearing a hideous monkey mask).

Simon and Gordo scuffle; Simon shoves Gordo’s face into the concrete. We hear dire threats. Gordo sports a black eye and has his arm in a sling. Rocks are thrown through windows. Angry, Robyn slaps her husband’s face. Fish get poisoned. Simon and Robyn’s dog ominously disappears.

It’s worth noting that Gordo was not only ostracized by his peers in high school after Simon’s mean stories surfaced, but his own father also tried to kill him.

Crude or Profane Language

Nearly 20 f-words, twice paired with “mother.” Fifteen or so s-words. Jesus’ name is abused twice, God’s half a dozen times (once paired with “d—”). “Good lord” is said profanely. “A–hole” is blurted out six or seven times, “h—” and “son of a b—ch” twice each.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Wine is consumed at almost every meal. Other alcoholic beverages include beer and champagne. Simon drinks shots by himself at a bar and is visibly inebriated before confronting Gordo.

Robyn steals some unidentified prescriptions from the medicine cabinet of a neighbor. Simon is furious when he finds out she’s been taking them (he throws them down the sink drain), and it’s implied that Robyn became addicted to some kind of prescription narcotic to cope with her heartache in the aftermath of her miscarriage. Gordo slips a sedative into Robyn’s drink; she passes out and falls to the floor.

Other Negative Elements

Gordo starts out saying he’s willing to “let bygones be bygones,” but once his hunger for vengeance is awakened he indulges it to the max. He eventually tells Simon that his goal was to fully pay the man back in kind, destroying his life.

Gordo lies about his status in life and “steals” a fancy house, passing it off as his own. When the subject of the government comes up, Gordo (who got kicked out of the military) says, “F— them. Eye for an eye, I say.” Simon was not just a malicious bully in the past, he remains one in the present, getting a man fired at work, etc.

This spine-tingling thriller isn’t fully in horror territory, yet it’s deeply disturbing nonetheless. Not a drop of blood is actually spilled onscreen, with the movie’s makers choosing to concentrate instead on manipulative emotional violence. It hints at a horrific sex crime while never letting us know if it actually ever happened. Finally, The Gift doesn’t flinch from featuring immorality, yet delivers a moral message: that if you deceive and bully, there will eventually be furious fall-out and clear consequences.

It’s as Gordo tells Simon, “See, you’re done with the past. But the past isn’t done with you.”

Still, even if we contort ourselves to give this seriously twisted story a modicum of credit for that last paradox, there’s another glaring ethical problem to (once again) be reckoned with: vengeance .

It’s something God claims for Himself, and every time we see the disastrous end of it, we understand a little bit more why. Note that I say we see it. This movie doesn’t make that connection. In the end, Simon loses everything that matters to him, while Gordo walks off with a sociopathic smirk on his face. And that’s no gift at all for moviegoers, some of whom might somehow be influenced by a darkly engaging story to put the wrongs in their lives right through similarly misguided means.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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REVIEW: “The Gift” (2015)

At first glance “The Gift” looked like another movie about a creepy guy with a secret who dupes and then terrorizes a naïve family. We’ve seen this before, even last year with “The Guest”. But looks can be deceiving and just like the naïve families in these films, I was expecting one thing but what I got was surprisingly different – a mesmerizing swirl of twists, turns, and revelations that consistently subverted every expectation I had.

Jason Bateman is perfectly cast to play the confident and controlling Simon. He and his wife Robyn (played equally well by Rebecca Hall) have just moved to Los Angeles from Chicago after he gets a swanky new job at a large security firm. Their move was also influenced by hopes of leaving some difficulties behind and starting a new chapter in their relationship. It begins with them buying a stylish new home in an upperclass neighborhood.

The three central performances are vital. Bateman often relegates himself to lame raunchy comedies, but here he shows an extraordinary natural bend that tops anything he has done to date. Rebecca Hall continues to be one of our most earnest and expressive actresses, delivering superb work while tackling the most emotionally complex character of the three. But Edgerton’s performance may be the key. It would be easy for him to fall into conventional traps but he steers clear of that. Instead he gives us a character so thoroughly cryptic. One minute he has us challenging our sympathies and the next we are squirming in your seats.

Edgerton listed Hitchcock and Haneke among his influences for the film and you can sense it. A stealthy and tense Hitchcockian vibe flows from the title screen to the end credits. Edgerton has given us a crafty thriller made with an impeccable sense of pacing. It is deceptively smart, hypnotically intense, and most importantly it never tips its hand. This is one of the more impressive directorial debuts and Joel Edgerton has exposed himself to be a gifted filmmaker and storyteller. Here’s hoping we get a lot more from him in the future.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

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33 thoughts on “ review: “the gift” (2015) ”.

Yes! Oh yes! 4.5 out of 5 is great to see, I thought I was being a bit sensational. 😀

I thought The Gift was extraordinary, even discounting the directorial debut aspect. Performances were intense, the pacing was great, the twists were absurdly effective and that finale was incredible. One of 2015’s greats in my book.

100% agree X 2!

I don’t think you’re being sensational at all. I was glued to the screen. And I agree, the performances are intense. I’ve often dismissed Bateman but he blew me away. But I really must say Edgerton is the star. The screenplay was brilliant, the direction was that of the seasoned kind, and the performance was pitch perfect.

I’d have to agree. Edgerton is just awesome on all fronts. I learned through doing my digging here he was behind last year’s The Rover, or wrote a story upon which the movie was based. I found that interesting. Really liked that movie as grim as it was. Guy is supremely talented.

Indeed he did. The Rover was in my Top 5 from last year. I always thought it would be great to read Edgerton’s story and compare it to Michôd’s film.

I really wish I could see this damn movie*. You’re review sounds to be pretty much in line with everyone else’s, in that it’s fucking amazing. Nice one, man!

*I have the worst theater in the world and they didn’t get it.

It’s a brilliant piece of filmmaking buddy. I was blown away by the performances, the intensity, and Edgerton’s top tier direction. You gotta track this thing down!

The Gift. Never even heard of it, Keith! Thanks for reviewing this. I will definitely check it out 🙂

It is fabulous Cindy. A spotlight for Joel Edgerton’s talents as writer and now director. And (of all people) Bateman gives what may be my favorite performance of the year. This is a must see.

Joel has come a long way! I have always liked him as a supporting actor. It’s nice to see him blossoming. Glad he’s directing.

He really won me over in Animal Kingdom. He is more of a supporting role here but it’s a pivotal one. But his script is sooo strong and I can’t wait to see what he directs next.

YES! I was riveted throughout, the performances were amazing, the directing was sharp, and nothing is wasted. One of the best of the year. Great, unspoiled review post Keith.

Thanks man. Appreciate the comments and I’m with you. One of my favorites of the year. Those performances! So intensely authentic. Absolutely loved this flick. Already anxious to see it again.

This one has slipped under my radar so far but your review really makes me want to see it! I’ve enjoyed Rebecca Hall’s performances in the past and I like the idea of Bateman in a more dramatic role. Great review Keith.

Thanks! Definitely, definitely see it. The cast is superb and the film itself is one big surprise. Edgerton has established himself as a writer and director in my book.

Hope it still plays at my cinema for another week. Fingers crossed!

This movie sounds like one you would’ve never expected to be good yet somehow it’s great. Can’t wait to see this.

It is one of those cases where I was going to let it slide by at the theater but the good reviews spiked my interest. Sooo glad I checked it out. A very smart and crafty thriller anchored by three truly superb performances. You really should check it out.

Great review! I liked this one quite a bit more than I expected to as well. You’re right, you go in thinking you’re getting one thing, and you get something completely different.

Edgerton really knocked it out of the park. This movie really surprised me. That third act is just insane and you end up in a place you never expected. Glad I saw it before it left theaters.

Wow, another stellar review of this film. I just read Tom’s the other day, now I’m very curious to check this out! I really like Edgerton as an actor, even as Pharaoh (in which he was grossly miscast) he was still watchable. Have you seen the Aussie drama Felony yet Keith? I highly recommend that if you like Edgerton.

Oh yes. I caught up with Felony. Another movie written by Edgerton. You MUST see this one Ruth. Probably my biggest and best surprise of the year so far. Three stellar performances and a story that is far more than it appears to be. I’m a big fan of this one.

Yes I will! I also like Rebecca Hall & Jason Bateman, curious to see him in a non-comedic role. It’s not overly violent/gory right? As you know I can’t handle those, but I like mystery/suspense stuff, sounds like this one is that way as you mention his Hitchcock influence.

Here’s the funny thing Ruth, the first trailer made it look like it could have some intense violence. Not the case at all. In fact if you look at the description for the R rating, all it says is language. For me that was the first clue that this may be something different.

As for Bateman, his raunchy comedy roles led to me dismissing him. This performance changes that. He is brilliant here. I love Rebecca Hall and she is great as always. And Edgerton… I can’t say enough.

Man, all these awesome reviews for this movie. I never even heard of this one before this past few days. It looks great but my theatres near me are only showing dubbed in French so ughh.. frustrating. I’ll just have to wait for its arrival on Netflix. Great review!

Oh that stinks! This one has flown under the radar but I’m glad it is getting some buzz. It really is a solid movie in almost every regard.

I thought the film was very well directed but the writing was lacking – the ending wasn’t strong, it had so many holes in it, it’s a shame Edgerton didn’t put more thought in it. But other than that it was a very good thriller.

I kinda loved the writing. It kept me on my toes and never tipped its hand. The ending definitely left things up in the air but I liked that. Clearly that story had more to tell but it leaves it to our imagination.

This popped up on my radar but I hadn’t heard a single thing about it. Your review’s definitely got me a lot more intrigued. Going to see if i can check it out. Cheers, Keith!

Awesome Jaina. It absolutely deserves an audience. It is really good and Edgerton has me excited for what he is going to do behind the camera in the future.

Too scary for me and I didnt think the ending really worked. Just not my type of film but I see why you liked it.

Another surprise for me and a film that came completely out of nowhere. I really think Edgerton has a knack for both sides of the camera.

Yeah he did a good job. Still not enough to erase his awfulness in Exodus movie. He was so bad in that…

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‘the gift’: film review.

In this throwback to '90s stalker thrillers, writer-director Joel Edgerton also stars as a man with an unhealthy fixation on an old schoolmate (Jason Bateman) and his wife (Rebecca Hall).

By Jon Frosch

Senior Editor, Reviews

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The dog days soon will be upon us, and with them the dregs of American cinema dumped unceremoniously into the local multiplex. But you could do a lot worse than The Gift , a creepy, crafty throwback to early ’90s stalker thrillers like Pacific Heights ,  The Hand That Rocks the Cradle , Single White Female and Unlawful Entry . Taken on its own undemanding terms and considered within its not very original framework, Joel Edgerton ’s feature-length directorial debut is a pleasant — or pleasantly unpleasant — surprise, hitting its genre marks in brisk, unfussy fashion and raising a few hairs on the back of your neck along the way. It’s comfort food for fans of films in which mysterious presents appear on doorsteps, beloved pets go ominously missing, and an attractive woman taking a shower is the surest sign that something wicked this way comes.

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Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall play Simon and Robyn, recently relocated from Chicago to a spacious modern house nestled in the hills of L.A.’s East Side. Robyn is recovering from a miscarriage and subsequent depression; Simon is climbing the corporate ladder at a new job.

The Bottom Line A sly, effective throwback to '90s stalker thrillers. 

Refreshingly free of expository frills, The Gift gets right down to business with Simon and Robyn running into an old high school classmate of Simon’s, the amusingly named Gordo ( Edgerton , sporting orange-ish hair, an earring and ill-fitting flannel), at a store. “That was awkward,” Simon whispers to Robyn as they walk away, but soon enough Gordo is invited for dinner and the three are exchanging pleasantries over plates of pasta in a quietly unnerving scene shot mostly in alternating facial close-ups.

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Things get weird, as they always do when a quirky outsider bonds with a couple of shiny, happy yuppies in these films. It starts innocuously enough with a bottle of wine sent as a thank-you, then takes a more unusual turn when fish appear in Simon and Robin’s once-empty backyard mini-pond. Before long, Gordo has turned into an incorrigible unwanted-gift giver, violating all codes of new-friend etiquette and prompting the slick, somewhat snarky Simon to nickname him “Weirdo.”

The gentler, more melancholy Robyn is not as quick to write him off, seeming to relate on some unspoken level to his oddballness and air of vulnerability. Still, when it becomes irrefutably clear that Gordo has developed an unhealthy fixation on them — and is a pathological liar to boot — even she goes along with her husband’s decision to cut him off. That is, until a letter arrives from Gordo , saying he’s willing to “let bygones be bygones.” Curious about what, exactly, Gordo is referring to — what wrong might Simon have committed against Gordo when they were in school together? — Robyn starts playing detective. 

Edgerton , who wrote recent Australian noirs The Square and Felony , has a somewhat cut-and-dry approach to plot and character, and indeed The Gift doesn’t do much with the relationship between Simon and Gordo . The slight frisson of homoeroticism is never teased out (this is no Chuck & Buck , despite broad similarities), and there’s little genuine mystery or depth to the queasy rekindling of the bond between these two men.

But the writer-director knowingly plays on our familiarity with tropes of the genre, both stylistic (smash cuts, insinuating music, scenes that begin with the camera creeping down empty hallways) and narrative (interrupted dinner parties, confrontations in dimly lit parking garages, intrigue related to the main female character’s fertility/maternity) — and just when you peg The Gift as pure pastiche, you notice the film doing things a bit differently. Robyn’s conflicted feelings toward both Gordo and her own husband emerge as the movie’s driving force; what first looks like a typical male-dominated revenge fantasy turns into the story of a woman coming to understand which flaws in her partner she’s willing to live with and which she’s not. Edgerton also slyly alters the template, blurring the lines between villain and victim and building to a bleak, ambiguous denouement rather than the usual bloody cat-and-mouse climax.

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The Gift ’s dialogue is movie-ish — especially when Simon and Robyn are trading domestic banalities in the kitchen — but not egregiously so. Besides, that kind of corny blather (“There’s just something a bit off about him” and the like) is one of the reassuring pleasures of this kind of film.

The movie also benefits from a trio of sturdy lead performances. Edgerton exudes both menace and fragility, keeping us guessing as to whether Gordo is unraveling or in supreme control. Bateman shifts seamlessly back and forth between affable charmer and sinister snake. And Hall’s watchful intelligence and reserve make her an ideal moral compass and audience surrogate. The small supporting cast features, most notably, Allison Tolman (FX’s Fargo ) as a welcoming neighbor and Busy Philipps ( Cougar Town ) as one of Simon and Robyn’s friends.

The ’90s vibe is reinforced by a conspicuous lack of smartphone use, though the socioeconomic clash implicit in Gordo’s face-off with Simon feels of-the-moment, as does the underlying subtext about bullying and its long-term effects. Still, The Gift isn’t to be taken too seriously; it is, above all, a nasty good time.

Production companies: Blue-Tongue Films, Blumhouse Productions Writer-director: Joel Edgerton Producers: Rebecca Yeldham, Jason Blum Executive producers: Jeanette Brill, Luc Etienne, Couper Samuelson Cast: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, Allison Tolman, Busy Philipps, Beau Knapp, Wendell Pierce, David Denman, Katie Asleton Cinematographer: Eduard Grau Production designer: Richard Sherman Costume designer: Terry Anderson Editor: Luke Doolan Music: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans Casting: Terri Taylor Rated R, 108 minutes

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This might sound like a typically cynical movie-reviewer thing to say, but the most surprising thing about “Gifted” is that it’s any good at all. That is, if you are going by its premise alone. The movie, from an original screenplay by Tom Flynn (a cursory glance at whose filmography does not inspire rock-solid confidence), is about a very cute young girl enrolling in first grade, much against her will, because as it happens she’s an utter math whiz who prefers being home-schooled by her uncle Frank. Ensuing complications include a grandmother who feels the prodigy will be better off somewhere outside of Frank’s grungy Florida shack.

The setup sounds like “Rainman Annie” or something. But even the most high-concept movie is execution-dependent, and the execution here is far better than the premise leads one to expect. And as executed, the premise plays rather differently—more of a “ Kramer vs. Kramer ” meets “ Little Man Tate ” vibe. In the middle of the proceedings, my jaw almost dropped: “This is a child-custody … what’s the word …  melodrama !!!” And I don’t say melodrama like it’s a bad thing. The world could use more of them these days as far as I’m concerned. 

If “Gifted” works for you as it did me, it’s mostly because of the cast, but also the way the story unpeels. Chris Evans is at his most effectively Evans-y in the role of Frank, who leads a mystifyingly quasi-carefree life repairing boats and looking after extremely adorable Mary ( Mckenna Grace ). On the opening day of school, he tells the little girl he’s made her a “special” breakfast, and it’s soon revealed he means a bowl of Special K. The two have a good bantering style as he explains to her why it’s a good idea to break away from home-schooling and join grade one. “You’re gonna meet kids today you can borrow money from for the rest of your life,” he tells her. As soon as Mary’s on the bus, Frank’s neighbor Roberta ( Octavia Spencer , playing a role she must be pretty used to by now, but which she nevertheless does not phone in, and good for her, and the movie) comes by to tell him that by insisting on sending her to public school, he’s all but sealed Mary’s doom. Why would that be?

The answer comes soon enough, as Mary amazes her kind but befuddled teacher Bonnie with her math-problem-solving stills. Mary’s gift, her boredom in class, and her passion for justice—soon after day one, she clobbers a bully—and more bring her to the attention of the school principal ( Elizabeth Marvel ). Said principal insists a public school is not the place for Mary, but Frank insists that it is. One hates to side with the principal, but she’s right. On the other hand, there’s something about Frank that strongly suggests that as right as the principal is, he’s more not wrong. 

The movie does not go out of its way to entirely vindicate Frank … not even when Mary’s grandmother comes swooping down from Boston. Played with poise and reserve by Lindsay Duncan , she’s an initially mysterious figure—a woman of wealth from whom Frank has removed himself in so many ways that it’s hard to accept them as related at all, at least at first. While Flynn’s back-story scenario is probably likely to seem very silly if examined under a harsh “plausibles” microscope, Mark Webb ’s smooth and assured direction, along with the performances of Evans and Duncan, make the unpacking of the relationship both narratively intriguing and emotionally credible, at least for the time that you’re watching them. Which is largely what counts. 

What follows is a custody battle where the adult players remain very civilized to each other throughout. Even though Mary herself is freaking at the possibility of being separated from Frank. Their bond remains interesting and funny throughout, as their conversations exploit but don’t oversell Mary’s precociousness. “Is there a God?” she asks Frank during one of their conversations. “I don’t know,” he says, trying to be earnest and honest. “Just tell me,” she eyerolls. The movie consistently serves up funny morsels like this. 

Also figuring in the eventually heart-tugging proceedings is a one-eyed cat named Fred. And a potentially awkward, among other things, romance between Frank and Bonnie. Evans and Bonnie’s portrayer, Jenny Slate , met while making this movie and dated in real life for some time after it wrapped. They have real chemistry on screen, and despite the online chatter rejoicing in the disparity of a superhero actor and an ostensibly down-and-dirty comedienne romancing in real life, they don’t play here as any kind of odd couple, but rather as a solid and likable one. 

The movie overplays its hand at times, as when Frank brings Roberta and Mary to visit a hospital maternity ward for … well, a reason that doesn’t quite make it. But “Gifted” is on balance a good-hearted entertainment that manages its plot curveballs, and everything else, with a show of compassion that’s a kind of tonic for our Increasingly Strident Times.  

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Gifted (2017)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some suggestive material.

Chris Evans as Frank Adler

Mckenna Grace as Mary Adler

Lindsay Duncan as Evelyn Adler

Jenny Slate as Bonnie Stevenson

Octavia Spencer as Roberta Taylor

Keir O'Donnell as Bradley Pollard

Glenn Plummer as Greg Cullen

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Live updates, the sinister theory about ‘finding nemo’ that’s leaving fans ‘shook’: ‘i’ve gotta call my therapist’.

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As if the depressing theory that bubbled to the surface years ago that Nemo was just a hallucination wasn’t bad enough, now this! 

As it turns out, the Barracuda wasn’t responsible for Marlin losing all his kids (bar Nemo). It was Coral, aka Nemo’s mom, all along. 

For those scratching their heads, here’s a quick refresher about the opening of the 2003 animation “Finding Nemo.” When Nemo was still an egg, Marlin lost his wife and all their other eggs in an attack from a fearsome barracuda.

A viral video has thrown many Disney fans into therapy after realizing that female clownfish eat their eggs. 

If reading this fan theory becomes too much to handle at any time, heed Dory’s advice: “Just keep swimming.”

“Do you know which animal does eat clownfish eggs?” 

“Here I am on my lunch break, thinking that if Nemo’s mom would have survived, he would have never gotten lost,” says  @makethatmagic , “And that his daddy was so irresponsible, come to find out. Barracudas don’t eat clownfish eggs. Nor do they eat clownfish.”

“But you know what animal does eat clownfish eggs? Clownfish!”

The TikToker, driven by curiosity, embarked on a quest for truth. She even discovered the character’s name, Coral, to “address her formally” in her findings.

“After Finding Nemo came out, marine biologists were like ‘nah, barracudas don’t eat clownfish eggs, but female clownfish will eat their eggs absolutely.”

As sad as this is, it’s true!

According to  Fanatasea Aquariums , “The male clownfish will tend to the eggs until they hatch. He will scope out any unviable or damaged; yes, he will eat those. Sometimes, all of the eggs will be eaten, especially during the parents’ first few attempts.”

Whoa, dude.

After this shocking realization, the video delves into the already uncovered fan theory that Nemo didn’t exist. Rather, Marlin was so grief-stricken he hallucinated Nemo, and the Reef just went along with it. 

“This is what sealed that. It might have been a hallucination for me. The Latin translation for Nemo is nobody. So the movie is Finding Nobody. 

“I cannot believe I gotta go to a meeting after that. I’m shook,” she ends her rant. 

“Every day, this app finds a way to ruin my childhood”

The video has been viewed over 1 million times, so naturally, Nemo fans have big feelings after hearing this sad news. 

One fan cries: “Every day, this app finds a way to ruin my childhood.”

“My flabber is gasted!!!” said another. 

“Great. Now I’ve gotta call my therapist,” lamented a third. 

“Ma’am, you’re called “make that magic”, but here you are, taking that magic away from my childhood,” one insisted.

This fan’s theory will haunt many: “So Marlin was in the ocean psych ward with Dory ’cause she was a little off, too! I’m shook!!!! Lol.”

“As a clownfish breeder, I can confirm. However, both eat the eggs, BUT only if they are bad eggs. But the male solely cares for the eggs until hatch day,” one user wrote. 

And then there was this, “The fact that clownfish can change genders sends me all the time because coral IS MARLON.”

Here’s hoping Disney Pixar studios will never confirm these theories! It’s a kid’s movie, after all. 

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Chris Pratt's The Garfield Movie lands soft Rotten Tomatoes score after first reviews

Mondays, eh?

Out in cinemas this week, the lazy feline of the title enjoys an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father Vic, who takes him and best friend Odie on a high-stakes heist.

At the time of writing, the movie has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 56%.

Related: Garfield trailer debuts Chris Pratt's take on the iconic character

The animated movie also features vocals from Samuel L Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Nicholas Hoult and Snoop Dogg. But reviewers think it seems to be missing the whole point of the iconic cat.

Below is a selection of those indifferent opinions from the press.

The Hollywood Reporter

"The rudimentary animation does the film no favours, nor does the lead vocal turn by Pratt, who strangely has become one of Hollywood's go-to animation stars with Onward , The Lego Movie and its sequel and The Super Mario Bros . Movie . His colourless vocal work here pales in comparison with his predecessors Bill Murray, who voiced the character in the two live-action movies, and Lorenzo Music, who played it brilliantly for so many years on television. The strange result is a Garfield without attitude."

"What's surprising about The Garfield Movie is that although it's based on a pretty cynical comic strip, its highlights are all sentimental. The flashbacks to Garfield's kittenhood are shameless gut punches of maudlin cutesiness, but eventually they tear down one's defences. Garfield's relationship with his father earns real sympathy by the end. What the film lacks in hilarious jokes — there's only a few (watch out for the used catapult salesman) — it makes up for with good nature."

Related: Chris Pratt's Garfield movie casts another Marvel star

"The hectic plot may keep younger minds from wandering. Long before the film reaches its action-packed, train-based climax, however, adults will be questioning if its three writers have so much as seen an actual Garfield comic strip, given how removed their work feels from its activity-averse inspiration."

"The lasagna-obsessed feline with a near-pathological aversion to Mondays, who first came into popular consciousness in the late '70s as a comic strip, is a diluted version of himself in The Garfield Movie .

"Not only is his suave apathy mostly replaced by an excessive excitedness with only sporadic glimpses of his endearingly negative qualities, but this Garfield jumps off trains, stages a heist, and is subjected to trite physical comedy by way of numerous predictable action sequences. The ordeal mimics a rehashed plot from the dull The Secret Life of Pets franchise with Garfield forcefully plugged in."

The Garfield Movie is released in cinemas on May 24.

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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy , NME and Yahoo Entertainment . 

In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.

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Review: ‘My Oni Girl’ Is Heartwarming Like A Chicken Soup On A Winter’s Day

My Oni Girl is a wonderful anime movie . From the minute it starts to its conclusion, the story and animation are heartwarming, joyful, and full of hope. The anime transfixed my focus, and my eyes did not leave the screen until the experience ended. This is what anime is about.

Let’s begin by describing a key factor of the movie: what is an Oni? Well, an Oni is a demon, which has more negative connotations if you search for the definition. In My Oni Girl , Onis are not necessarily evil but a higher being away from the real world. Humans cannot see the energy that attaches to Onis, so their existence is unknown. 

In the story, young teenage boy Hiiragi leads a confusing life, bringing the essence of “coming-of-age” to the premise. He’s socially deficient, and apart from a girl pretending that he’s her boyfriend for social status, he’s never had any form of date or girlfriend. The boys at school take him for granted (they copy his homework while barely acknowledging him in the opening scenes), and his father believes he should be on a strict education path. Hiiragi is having an early life crisis. 

That’s until he meets Tsumugi, an Oni desperate to find a Shrine, hoping it will lead to her missing mother. There’s a warm connection between the pair instantly, but Hiiragi’s life transforms when a Snow God attacks him out of nowhere. With this being linked to the Oni people, Hiiragi shows his human kindness and supports Tsumugi in finding the shrine. 

This is a sweet anime on the surface and underneath. I loved the meaning behind the relationship between the two leading characters. Tsumugi and Hiiragi have much to learn from each other. Hiiragi must learn to defend himself and express his personality to the world. Tsumugi needs to accept love and support in her mission. Together, the characters complement each other superbly. 

A fantasy element runs well through the narrative, but I have to say, I just enjoyed the characters. On their adventure, they meet people from all walks of life, signifying kindness and togetherness. There’s a great understanding of community that thrives in the story. My Oni Girl is a warm chicken soup on a cold winter day; it is satisfying and creamy, and you want it to last.  

Unsurprisingly, this anime movie had an emotional reaction on me. The same director, Tomotaka Shibayama, made A Whisker Away , which had a similar charm and warm effect on the audience. 

By the time you reach the end of My Oni Girl , you will adore Tsumugi and Hiiragi, and while it’s unlikely there will be a sequel (it feels like a one-off), there’s undoubtedly re-watch value. With beautiful key animation and a thoughtful and good-natured script, My Oni Girl sits on an empire of good anime movies. 

• My Oni Girl Ending Explained

Article by Daniel Hart

Daniel is the co-founder of Ready Steady Cut and has served as Editor-in-Chief since 2017. Since then, Dan has been at the top of his game by ensuring that we only produce and upload content of exceptional quality and that we’re up to date with the latest additions to the streaming and entertainment world.

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Review: Stuffed with in-jokes for parents, 'The Garfield Movie' isn't a cat-astrophe

S ince 1978, cartoonist Jim Davis has explored the quotidian dramas of pet ownership via the daily travails of beleaguered Jon Arbuckle, his eager dog, Odie, and the titular tubby orange tabby, Garfield. If the comic strip (the most widely syndicated in the world) is the weekly sitcom version of their story, then “The Garfield Movie,” the latest effort to bring Garfield to the big screen, is the oversized action-adventure film, replete with references and comparisons to Tom Cruise.

Those Cruise-inspired Easter eggs are laid not necessarily for kids but for the adults who have accompanied them to the theater, such as when the score references “Mission: Impossible” while an ox named Otto, voiced by Ving Rhames (who plays Cruise’s techie Luther in the action franchise), lays out the plan for a heist. Later, a triumphant climax featuring airborne food-delivery drones offers the chance for a bit of the “Top Gun” theme while Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt) brags that he does his own stunts , “just like Tom Cruise.”

The line is a bit of over-emphasis that this is the big, thrilling version of Garfield, not a “Jeanne Dielman” -style study of domestic life. In fact, after a quick framing device that shows us Garfield’s heartstring-tugging history as a starving stray kitten who encounters Jon at an Italian restaurant, the film speeds through a quick montage of our favorite Garfield tropes: He loves lasagna, hates Mondays, torments Jon and manipulates Odie.

We know him, we love him: Garfield’s unique characteristics have been printed on coffee mugs for years. Now, on to the high-stakes and highly contrived plot. Garfield and Odie are kidnapped by a couple of thuggish pups, Nolan ( Bowen Yang ) and Roland (Brett Goldstein), who are working for a Persian cat named Jinx (Hannah Waddingham). She wants them to collaborate with Garfield’s deadbeat dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), on a milk heist as revenge for the time she did in the pound after a scheme she and Vic pulled.

The heist plot allows for the action, adventure and suspense to come into play, as well as the aforementioned Tom Cruise references, along with nods to film noir and early silent films (there are a lot of sequences set on trains). There’s even a “Rashomon”-like flashback as we see Garfield’s childhood abandonment from Vic’s perspective, changing the way we understand how Garfield found himself alone in that alley that night. The heist may make up the majority of the story, but it’s merely a means by which an estranged father and son can escape the emotional prison of masculinity and express their feelings to each other.

“The Garfield Movie,” directed by Mark Dindal and written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, may sport a deep knowledge of film history to delight cinephile parents, but it is still a kiddie movie and comes with the same zany, harried energy one might expect from such a project. The aesthetic hews closer to the look of the comic strip than the CGI/live-action abomination of the two Garfield movies of the early aughts, which is on trend with other animated films that embrace an illustrated style, though this is less edgy than some recent examples (the “Spider-verse” movies, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” ).

Bill Murray voiced the rusty, rotund feline in “Garfield: The Movie” (2004) and “Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties” (2006) in his dry, laconic manner, and Pratt does a fine job taking over vocal duties. Harvey Guillén offers his voice for Odie’s noises and the rest of the voice cast (Nicholas Hoult as Jon, Cecily Strong as a Midwestern security guard named Marge) round out their world.

Though the film is formulaic and somewhat annoyingly energetic, it’s cute and irreverent enough, and manages to bridge the generation gap, offering up a kid-friendly flick that can keep adults somewhat entertained for the duration, proving that even after all these years, Garfield’s still got it.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

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About This Game

• Similar to the last installment, play as Futaro and progress through the story via point-and-click visual novel style gameplay.
• Socialize with quintuplets via the story events and decisions to strengthen your friendship in this light hearted romantic comedy.
• This installment features an all new activity schedule mechanic in which you manage the activities the quintuplets do. You can have them study, cook, put them in-charge of getting the ingredients around the island, or rest. In addition to this mechanic the characters themselves now have parameters such as academic ability, cooking skill, and ingredients they excel at obtaining.
• With over 14 different endings, the choices you make will matter. The overall bond between your friends, as well as the parameter mechanic introduced in this installment, will affect the ending.

System Requirements

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10/11 64 Bit
• Processor: Core i5 of Skylake generation or better
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics Series (It needs 1GB memory allocation)
• Storage: 7 GB available space
• Sound Card: Sound Devices compatible Direct Sound
• Additional Notes: 1280x720 or better required (Recommended 1920x1080)

©Negi Haruba,KODANSHA/“The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie” Production Committee. ©MAGES. Licensed to and Published by Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.

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Guest Essay

My Life in the Brat Pack, Reconsidered

By Andrew McCarthy

Mr. McCarthy’s forthcoming documentary is “Brats.”

When I was a very young man, I became very successful very quickly in a string of movies. It was the 1980s, and I was in the right place at the right time as a cultural shift was taking place.

It’s difficult to imagine now, but Hollywood was not always as enamored of the young as it is today. But seemingly overnight the focus of films shifted. No longer would the auteurs of the ’70s dictate the type of entertainment we would watch. Hollywood had discovered the purchasing power of a young audience and refocused its moneymaking tractor beam directly on it.

I and a cluster of other young actors were the beneficiaries of this redirection, and our careers quickly flourished — surprising no one more than us. There were some in the old guard who resented this upheaval, and when a disparaging article in New York magazine appeared lumping a group of us young actors together as the Brat Pack, many in Hollywood snickered with satisfaction. We had been put in our place, brought down to size.

People had been eager to get a handle on this cultural realignment, and the catchy turn of phrase caught fire. The nod to the Rat Pack placed us on a historical Hollywood continuum while reducing us by stripping away our individuality. My career and those of a half dozen others were forever branded. As the magazine put it: “This is the Hollywood ‘Brat Pack.’ It is to the 1980s what the Rat Pack was to the 1960s — a roving band of famous young stars on the prowl for parties, women and a good time.”

We hated the tag. We were now members of a club none of us wished to join. I felt that I lost control of the narrative of my career overnight. I tried to shrug off the Brat Pack label, hoping it would fade. But I didn’t understand something.

While I might have felt the term was pejorative and diminishing, the young people of my generation loved it. Being in the Brat Pack meant that I was one of the ultimate cool kids, the ones you wanted to hang out with, to emulate; we were the ones you admired.

There has never been a precise accounting of which actors constituted the Brat Pack, but that is largely beside the point. The Brat Pack was always more of an idea than any fixed reality. And it put a stamp on a generation.

For years, the disconnect between what I experienced and what the public felt made for an uneasy alliance. The Brat Pack label preceded me into every room I entered. I dragged it behind me like the carcass of youth. Then a few years ago, I wrote a book about that time and discovered something had happened while I wasn’t looking. I had grown not only to accept the Brat Pack label but also to regard it with deep affection. It turns out, I had been peering through the wrong end of the telescope, and when I spun it around, the view was expansive.

People approached me on the street for decades to quote lines from those films or to express how much they meant to them. Many people spoke about their own youth in relation to those films. Those are the people who taught me the most. I eventually came to understand that I and the other members of the Brat Pack represented that thrilling transitional time when life was a blank slate to be written on, when possibility was just a step over the horizon. We had become the avatars of youth for a certain generation.

During that heady and confusing time in the ’80s, the great French film director Claude Chabrol said to me, “My dear boy, the truth today is not the truth tomorrow.” For so long I didn’t understand what he meant, but perhaps now I do. Something that had cast such a long shadow over me, that I felt had obscured my identity and even clouded who I had perceived myself to be, had transformed into something like a blessing. It was a gift I could offer others by merely accepting their affection.

I began to wonder about the experience of other Brat Pack members, most of whom I hadn’t seen in decades. Had their perspective on the events of so long ago shifted in a similar fashion? I had the notion that since the Brat Pack came into existence entirely because of its relation to film, I might film the encounters .

A few of the pack were reluctant to participate, but with the majority who did, our reunions were sweet. Gone was the competitive and anxious edge of youth. What remained was a survivor’s recognition and mutual affection.

But something else happened during those meetings: By reviving and sharing experiences of our long-frozen past, so much of the detritus of that time was revealed to be a phantom that fell away, allowing the Brat Pack to be re-experienced in the present. The truth of the past had yielded to the truth of today. No longer an ancient albatross, the Brat Pack had been transformed by time into something to be celebrated by us as the cultural touchstone it was, a thing to be looked on at last with a shared and bemused affection — re-examined and embraced with something akin to wonder.

Andrew McCarthy is an actor, writer and director.

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