TheReviewMonk is back — critic reviews for Indian cinema, aggregated. Read our story →

TheReviewMonk
The Gift backdrop

The Gift

21 August 2015English1h 48m
6.8
from 5 scored reviews · 2 not rated

Weighted from a 7.4 average · Why?

What critics are saying

Critical reception for The Gift is broadly positive, with reviewers consistently praising its sustained tension and psychological depth.

Read all 7 reviews →

A husband and wife try to reinvigorate their relationship but their lives are threatened by a "friend" from the husband's past who holds a horrifying secret about him, sending their world into a tailspin.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for The Gift is broadly positive, with reviewers consistently praising its sustained tension and psychological depth. Performances across the cast, particularly from Joel Edgerton and Jason Bateman, are frequently highlighted as a key strength. Technical craft including cinematography, editing, and background score also draws appreciation. The only concrete criticism raised is the underuse of Allison Tollman in a minor role that critics felt added little to the narrative.

5 rated reviews · 5 positive

Praised: cast performances and tensionCriticised: Allison Tollman underused in minor role

AI-generated summary of 7 critic reviews · may contain errors

Report inaccuracy

Critic Reviews (7)

Updated
Mihir FadnavisTop Critic· Mid-Day
8.0
What really drives the movie home are the excellent performances from the entire cast. Edgerton is delightfully strange, while Bateman is pretentious in an endearing kind of manner. The only wasted opportunity is the superb Allison Tollman from 'Fargo' is cast in a minor role that doesn't add anything to the story. But that's only a minor complaint in an otherwise awesome movie. As far as thrillers with smart thrills go, it doesn't get better than 'The Gift'.
Read full review ↗
Raja SenTop Critic· Rediff
7.0
The Gift is much more than a boilerplate Hollywood horror film...
Read full review ↗
Shalini LangerTop Critic· Indian Express
7.0
Edgerton and Bateman put in very good performances in a story that depends entirely on our inability to trust their characters.
Read full review ↗
Reagan Gavin Rasquinha· Times Of India
8.0
The Gift is uniformly intense without being heavy. Not for one second does it drag. If you enjoy psych-thrillers, there will be plenty to think about long after the end credits have rolled. Do not miss this one.
Read full review ↗
Bollywood Life· Bollywood Life
7.0
On the technical front, the film has good production values. The camera work, the background score and editing are precisely noteworthy. With a couple of terrific jump scares, the film certainly has its share of actual fright, but the real terrors are in the mind. The film is worth watching for its treatment.
Read full review ↗
Biprorshee Das· BookMyShow
Not rated
You must watch The Gift because this is a thriller that fans of the genre have been waiting for. You must watch it for the sincere performances of the cast. Bring an open mind to the movie hall though.
Read full review ↗
Venky Vembu· The Hindu
Not rated
Quite remarkably, there is no gratuitous violence in the film, despite the palpable tension all around. Even the climax rests on merely the hint of an unspeakable crime, an idea planted Inception-like in the mind. And just as the last scene of Inception leaves you to figure out if the spinning top stopped or not, the last scene here has you wondering: did Gordo do the dirty deed or not? Go figure.
Read full review ↗

Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
21 August 2015
Runtime
1h 48m
Language
English

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.25 ratings

5 ratings · 0 with a written review

TMDB

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.