Credit: STX Entertainment

Have you ever watched a mystery movie and thought you’ve got it all figured out, and then later realised… yeah, you barely scratched the surface? That’s The Gift for you, because at first, this Netflix mystery plays out like a pretty simple story, but give it a second look, and you will be surprised to discover things you never did the first time.

So here’s how the film begins: you have got Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), a couple trying to start fresh in a new city; you know how it goes. They’re all excited to get a new house, a new routine, all of that, and for a minute, it really does feel like those clean-slate situations where nothing from the past is supposed to follow you. But of course, that doesn’t last very long.

Out of nowhere, Simon runs into Gordo (Joel Edgerton), someone he knew from back in the day, and right from that first interaction, something feels genuinely awkward. Not scary enough to raise alarms, but it makes you suspicious for sure. Right after that, Gordo keeps showing up.

And this man always comes with gifts, as if he were trying to stay connected, and before you know it, he has become a part of their lives. At times, he feels a bit socially off, and we feel maybe Simon’s just overreacting, and maybe this is nothing… and that’s exactly where the movie pulls you in because it’s clearly nothing.

As things move forward, little pieces from the past start coming out, and suddenly the whole dynamic between these three characters changes in a weird way. Simon, who comes across as confident and put-together, starts showing a side that feels very different, while Gordo, who seemed awkward at first, becomes harder and harder to read.

And all of a sudden, you realise this story isn’t about what’s happening right now; it is about what already happened.

It’s rare to watch Jason Bateman play a role that is very different from what people usually expect from him, and he has done an excellent job in bringing Simon to life. It gradually happens over the course of the film because you don’t see everything at once, and every new detail changes the way you look at him.

Joel Edgerton as Gordo is on a whole different level when it comes to keeping you guessing, because just when you think you understand him, he flips, and the question mark stays in the air. You’re constantly trying to penetrate his mind during the film, but he never makes it easy for you.

But if you are expecting an alien-level twist in the film, then that’s not the case here. It’s a slow-build movie which will show you how everything is about and around the choices you make and their consequences. It’s around the idea that what people do doesn’t just disappear over time, no matter how much they act as if it has.

So if you are planning a weekend watch and want something that actually makes you go back and rethink what you just saw, The Gift is that movie. For those who’ll be watching it the second time around, know that you are not just watching the story; you are catching all the little details that were right in front of you the whole time.