If you say the name Sam Raimi to a horror fan the first film you will probably hear about is The Evil Dead, but he also dipped his toes into thriller territory with 2000’s The Gift.
For context, this is two years before Raimi helms Spiderman and his career as we know it changes forever.
Cate Blanchett stars as Annie, a lady with the titular gift who helps to find Jessica (Katie Holmes) after she disappears.
What makes the film work so well is the atmosphere that Raimi crafts while also feeling quite grounded. My immediate go-to comparison was Twin Peaks, maybe without the Cherry Pie and its more Lynchian qualities.
This isn’t a perfect town with a rotten core. We have the woman beating Donnie (Keanu Reeves), the unhinged Buddy (Giovanni Ribisi) plus a police force who, arguably, aren’t taking Jessica’s disappearance seriously enough.
The dependable Christopher Young provides a stunning score for the film, which is right up there with his work on the early Hellraiser films.
Raimi gives The Gift a hypnotic feel, as Annie’s haunting visions drive the story forward while also leaving an air of mystery as we hurtle towards the tragic finale.
The Gift is destined to become a cult classic with the special edition treatment from Arrow. This new disc features two new audio commentaries, new and archival interviews with cast and crew plus a collectors booklet.
Order your copy of The Gift on Blu-Ray or 4K today.
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