Review of Gerald's Game (2017) by Jp J — 13 Nov 2017

To those who have read the book which I hadn't, you might had different experience reading it. When 'IT' came out this year, people also started talking about Gerald's Game, a psychological horror movie which is also based on a Stephen King Novel. Stephen King is a man who can do no wrong when it comes to his books. I've read a few of his books and I enjoyed all of them, but I personally didn't know about this one. Some people say, 'Gerald's Game isn't one of his best written books, also not a terrible one. I won't spoil away the story though, so if you haven't heard anything about the book or the movie, I am pleased to share my review about the movie (spoiler free of course).

Let's get started. I had no idea what this movie was about. When I heard that there was going to be another movie being adapted from Stephen King's novel, I intentionally didn't watch any movie trailer or read synopsis about this movie so I was completely unaware where the movie was going to go. Gerald's Game is directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Hush 2016 & Ouiji: Origin of Evil), and stars Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood.

Synopsis: When Jesse and her husband Gerald go off to a remote lakehouse to reignite their marriage, tragedy strikes. A harmless game between the couple turns out to be traumatic and a fight for survival.

Hallucinations. Nightmares. Disorientation. Gerald's Game is one of the best movies adapted from Stephen King books, and perhaps one of the most original storytelling I've ever seen. There are moments when Jesse is having flashbacks from her horrific experience when she was young and relate it to her present life. Mike Flanagan proves that he is one of the best director working on horror movies today. He knows how to make you feel uneasy. And this movie leaves you unsettled.

Carla Gugino is one of the most underrated actresses working today, but in this movie she proves how incredible actress she is. If Flanagan has the lock, she has the key. She has probably 95% screentime in the movie, and when a scene gets so unnerving, her acting is just fantastic. There are no moments I didn't believe her. Her ability to sustain the emotion every take is outstanding. Her work as Jesse is one of the best performances of an actress I've seen this year. Bruce Greenwood's work as Gerald is also tremendous.

Ninety percent of the movie took place at the lake house they went to but I was riveted. Gerald's Game isn't just a psychological thriller from Stephen king's mastermind, but it's so much more than that. A horror movie isn't just about Ghosts, gore and terrifying creatures. It's about presenting a horrific situation that you can suddenly relate to. And Mike Flanagan is able to establish all of that.

Gerald's Game is atrocious and disturbing psychological horror movie. A legitimate contender as one of the top ten movies of the year.