Review of Gerald's Game (2017) by Rotimer J — 20 Oct 2017

Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the best fiction writers of all time, and is personally my favorite author. Most of his novels are horror based, and will often involve the supernatural to some degree.

In Gerald's Game, King approaches the horror genre in a very unconventional way, almost completely disregarding the thought of ghosts or demons. It follows Gerald and Jessie, a couple who's marriage is seemingly failing.

The characters are played by Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino, respectively. I've seen the work of these actors before, but none of their performances ever held a spot on my radar. That is, until now; both performances, especially Carla Gugino's are dynamic, seeing as they both play the real and imaginary versions of themselves.

The couple trek into the woods to an isolated summer house for a weekend in an attempt to reinvigorate their marriage. It's difficult to go into the plot without giving much away, but Jessie ends up trapped in this house, completely isolated from the rest of society.

I can only imagine how difficult it is to keep things exciting while being confined to one single room, but director Mike Flanagan adapts the novel to the screen with finesse. Carla Gugino's performance also adds to the panic and anxiety tenfold, delivering on an emotional and physical level.

The film gets particularly interesting when a tall, deformed, and mute being dubbed "The Moonlight Man" appears to Jessie at night. This leads into one of the most satisfying twists I've seen in a film in quite some time.

It's also worth noting that there is one particular scene that will turn over a lot of stomachs; I wouldn't be surprised if many people turn it off completely. All in all, Gerald's Game is one of the better Stephen King film adaptations, and is undoubtedly one of Netflix's best films.