Sins of the past

Neighborhood watch

Karma is a frightening, mysterious force of the unknown. Whether it's predictable or unexpected, eventually everyone faces the outcome of their past decisions. It's unavoidable; which is why it's so important to be cautious of the actions we take or the things we say so that it doesn't come back to haunt us in the future. In The Gift, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young couple who move to Chicago to start anew after Simon acquires a new job. Here, the two cross paths with an old acquaintance from

high school, nicknamed [by Simon] "Gordo" (Joel Edgerton), a socially awkward type who seeks out Simon and Robyn after their chance encounter. Gordo wants nothing more than to reconnect with Simon and make peace with him, with hopes of letting "bygones be bygones," but Simon becomes uncomfortable with Gordo's constant unannounced visits and the gifts he leaves at their home, evidently cutting all ties with him. Robyn begins to question of what sort of history Simon has with Gordo and soon uncovers a secret that ties the two in an unimaginable way. I had The Gift under my radar since I first heard about it, and I made sure to avoid everything concerning the story so that I could go in fresh and not have anything spoiled for me, and man was it worth it. The Gift is truly a modern Hitchcock of our time, with clever writing and strong acting. All the lead actors get kudos, especially Edgerton for not only playing a good creep but for also writing and directing the film. No doubt the dude had a clear idea of what he was going for, and he accomplished just that. The film plays with your expectations and (thankfully) does not revert to any cheap jump scares or tricks. It relies solely on tension to keep you guessing up until the end, and believe me, this is one of those endings that will stay with you for days. The Gift is a tense and fantastic film, definitely one of 2015's best and deserves your' immediate viewing.

​-Reviewed by Razor, 11/5/15