What it’s about
Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall) are an affluent, seemingly happy couple living in the Hollywood Hills. Shopping one day, they run into Gordo (Edgerton), a former schoolmate of Simon’s. Despite not really remembering him, Simon invites Gordo to dinner, and an awkward evening ensues. Thinking they’ve heard the last from him, Simon and Robyn are disturbed when over time Gordo insists on insinuating himself into their lives, with far-reaching repercussions.
Why we love it
Australian actor/writer Edgerton’s first directorial outing is a near-masterpiece of suspense, with nods to both Hitchcock and genre classics like “Fatal Attraction”. But Edgerton turns conventions upside down with some nifty twists, and refreshingly, he needs no gory resolution to give us our money’s worth. Bateman works his “nice-boy” smarm to sinister effect, and Edgerton manages to be both scary and sympathetic as the layered Gordo. Raising existential questions about identity, this psychological thriller marks a stunning debut for Edgerton.