It seems as though horror auteur Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead trilogy) has dipped his malevolent toes in just about every genre and subgenre there is to offer. Horror, Western, Noir, Superhero, Comedy, and even Romantic Drama have been visited upon by Raimi, some of these on repeat occasions. In the year 2000, thanks to the resounding success of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense in 1999, Raimi went further down the horror rabbit hole and found himself in ghostly Mystery territory with The Gift.
Twenty-five years after its initial release, The Gift still shines as an elegant and expertly-crafted ghost story that satisfies any cravings for a Halloween treat. It tells the story of widowed psychic Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett), who uses her “gift” to offer spiritual guidance to townsfolk in exchange for whatever her clients are able to pay with. Alone with her three children, she faces both kindness and skepticism from neighbors, even threats of violence from wife-beater Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves, perfectly cast against type). When the daughter of a local businessman disappears (Katie Holmes), her fiancé (Greg Kinnear) and local police seek Annie’s help to find the missing woman.
Glowing with Southern atmosphere and an authentic sense of place, The Gift offers a meaty plate of small-town secrecy and a cold drink of supernatural creepiness. It takes its time introducing each player and their own small worlds within the story before even reaching the catalytic event that will bring them all together. It’s brimming with the small-town dynamics that horror and violence have found such wealth in. In a way, almost ticking off every box for genre fans, what starts as a gothic melodrama morphs into a crime/thriller mixed with supernatural horror and even some courtroom drama to boot. Fans of true crime with a supernatural twist will be most welcome.
Based on co-writer Billy Bob Thornton’s mother and her own experiences as a clairvoyant in the South, it’s easy to see how the film so genuinely portrays the nuances and contradictions of Southern life. Boasting a cast of A-list performers and ever-reliable character actors like Hilary Swank and Giovanni Ribisi (future Spider-Man alumni J.K. Simmons and Rosemary Harris also make appearances), The Gift lives up to its name and more.
