That's the superficial starting point of The Gift, the directorial debut of actor Joel Edgerton, who takes the cuckoo - in - the - nest thriller template — which became ubiquitous in the early»90s with films like Pacific Heights, Unlawful Entry, Single White Female and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle — and, by
introducing psychological depth and a streak of social conscience, fashions an intriguing morality tale.