‘The Gift’ Is the Best Sam Raimi Film You’ve Never Seen

Dread Central

Today on The Overlooked Motel, we are talking about The Gift. No, not the one with Jason Bateman. The film up for discussion today is a forgotten horror thriller from the year 2000 directed by the legendary Sam Raimi. The flick boasts an absolutely unreal talent roster. Raimi directs from a script penned by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson. And the cast is a veritable who’s who of Oscar winners and A-listers. Though the flick is slightly formulaic and the pace meanders a bit, the film more than makes up for any shortcomings with a tense atmosphere, powerhouse performances, and a strong emotional core.   Read the article: https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/525461/the-gift-is-the-best-sam-raimi-film-youve-never-seen/  Dread Central https://www.dreadcentral.com/  Check Out Our Podcast Network- https://www.dreadcentral.com/dread-podcast-network/  Grab your Dread merchandise, movies, and more- https://store.dreadcentral.com/  Follow Dread Central on social media: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DreadCentral Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/dreadcentral/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/DreadCentral TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@dreadcentral

Transcript

00:00Today on the Overlook Motel, we're talking about The Gift. No, not the one with Jason Bateman.

00:05The film up for discussion today is a forgotten horror thriller from the year 2000,

00:09directed by the legendary Sam Raimi. The flick boasts an absolutely unreal talent roster.

00:14Raimi directs from a script penned by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson,

00:19and the cast is a veritable who's who of Oscar winners and A-listers.

00:24Though the flick is slightly formulaic and the pace meanders a bit,

00:27the film more than makes up for any shortcomings with tense atmosphere,

00:30powerhouse performances, and a strong emotional core.

00:35The film follows Annie, a single mother of three who makes ends meet working as a fortune teller.

00:39When Jessica, the daughter of a prominent businessman, turns up dead,

00:43Annie begins having visions about Jessica's untimely death.

00:46Her premonitions lead law enforcement to Jessica's body and even point to a potential suspect.

00:52Though the presumed killer is in custody, Annie starts to wonder if she's led the police to the wrong man.

00:57With the true killer still potentially at large, Annie worries she may still be in grave danger.

01:02With an A-list cast and a legendary director, it's surprising that The Gift isn't more celebrated by the masses.

01:08Upon release, the flick narrowly recouped its budget at the box office before ultimately fading into semi-obscurity.

01:14I have at least one guess as to why. I think the marketing is largely to blame.

01:18The flick was positioned more as a psychological thriller, however The Gift is a proper horror movie.

01:23It's atmospheric, occasionally brutal, and quite terrifying at times.

01:28But that should come as no surprise to anyone even remotely familiar with Sam Raimi's output.

01:32What sets The Gift apart from a lot of Raimi's other work is that the monsters here are very much human.

01:38That's a curious juxtaposition because this is a supernatural horror film,

01:41yet the real horror comes from the evils that men do.

01:45That's a somewhat unexpected take that makes up for the film's sometimes formulaic storyline.

01:50The characters, good, bad, and in-between, are well-developed and quickly pull us into their twisted world.

01:56The cast features no less than three Oscar winners in Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, and J.K. Simmons.

02:02It's quite nice to see so many talented thespians under the same roof.

02:06Not surprisingly, Cate Blanchett is exceptional as Annie.

02:09The character is well-rendered on the page, and Blanchett brings her to life as a sympathetic lead.

02:14The actress is almost unrecognizable as she fully transforms into her character,

02:18a fragile yet brave woman trying to keep a roof over her children's heads

02:21while quietly losing the battle against her inner demons.

02:24Her status as a single mother underscores the character's vulnerability.

02:28She's navigating a horrifying ordeal without a support system or anyone to lean on.

02:32That distinction amplifies the intensity of some of the more precarious situations in which she finds herself.

02:38Her resilience, empathy, and sense of justice make her a compelling lead

02:42with more emotional depth than you might expect.

02:45A stable of talented actors round out the supporting cast, and everyone involved brings their A-game.

02:51The Gift features exceptional performances from almost every key player.

02:55One standout example is Keanu Reeves as accused killer Donnie Barksdale.

02:59The beloved actor makes the character properly terrifying.

03:02It's great to see him tackle such a nasty role here.

03:05Reeves often gets typecast as an easygoing nice guy, a lovable meathead, or a law enforcement type.

03:12This is a definite departure from the sort of characters he's best known for playing, and I'm here for it.

03:17His brooding mannerisms and his hair-trigger temper are profoundly unnerving.

03:21Donnie is pure evil in human form.

03:24Giovanni Ribisi is the other standout from the supporting players.

03:27He turns in a textured showing where his best intentions are thwarted by his unpredictable nature,

03:32which is informed by unprocessed trauma.

03:35The actor is wholly convincing as an unhinged auto-mechanic,

03:38effortlessly pivoting from gentle to terrifying at a moment's notice.

03:42Despite the picture's numerous strengths, it does have some issues.

03:45Accordingly, I want to give you a heads-up regarding what doesn't work quite as well.

03:49There are some minor pacing problems.

03:51The courtroom scenes in the second act slow the proceedings down a bit too much for my liking.

03:56They also muddle the tonality a little,

03:58making The Gift feel a bit like a supernatural thriller in the first and third acts,

04:02and a courtroom drama in the second.

04:04I wish the trial scenes were condensed or edited a bit more tightly.

04:09With that said, my qualms are very minor,

04:11and I'm more than willing to overlook any shortcomings based on strong performances from a gifted cast

04:16and the picture's impressive emotional core.

04:19Not to mention Sam Raimi crafts some profoundly intense exchanges,

04:23sure to make you jump out of your seat.

04:25On the whole, The Gift is scary, suspenseful, and engaging.

04:28The picture is well worth seeking out.

04:30If you haven't yet experienced it, you're in for a treat.

04:33If you're eager to track the picture down, you can find it available on physical media

04:37or as a digital rental as of the publication of this video.

04:40For maximum effect, watch The Gift when you're home alone, late at night, with all the lights off.

04:45That's all for this installment of the Overlook Motel.

04:48If you'd like to chat more about underseen and underrated films,

04:51feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, threads, or Instagram,

04:54at FunWithHorror.

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