What a year it has been for Stephen King. First, we were given The Dark Tower then later we were given a pleasant surprise with the horror film known as IT. Since it was Friday the 13th I figured that I would watch something more on the horror element side and see what was out there. I’ve been hearing nothing but positive reactions of Stephen King’s latest adaptation, Gerald’s Game which is currently on Netflix. I never read the book but heard nothing but great things about it and figured since I was a huge fan of IT and I pretty much trust Netflix with some of their contents, that this could probably turn out to be a great film. If you don’t know the premise it surrounds a married couple named Jessie and Gerald played by Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, and they decide to go to a remote lake house to spice up their marriage. Unexpectedly Jessie’s husband dies leaving her handcuffed to their bed frame. Now she must fight for survival, confront long-buried demons within her own mind from her past as well as some that are possibly lurking in the shadows of their empty house. With a premise like that I had no other choice to check this movie out for myself. Thankfully I was able to watch it in the comfort of my home when things got too creepy at times. Well, here is my review on Gerald’s Game.
Right out the gate I must give a ton of credit to the script of this film, because I was on edge the entire I was watching it. Mike Flanagan who wrote and direct this film did a superb job telling this story and keeping you as the audience intrigued with the story and the characters. If you have seen the trailers you know that Carla Gugino’s character is hallucinating at times throughout the film, and let me tell you that those were the best parts of the movie. Mainly because you got a way better understanding of her character and what shaped her to be the person that she is now. But what was also intriguing about it was she would hallucinate not only her dead husband but a mirror of herself as well, and while she was talking basically to them she was also learning survival skills which was kind of cool to watch. But going back to the script, the writing was so well done because not only did you care whether or not she was going to make it. But while she was hallucinating you started to learn more about her childhood and at times it was very disturbing to watch, but you couldn’t but be invested in that part of the story because that is what shaped her into being the woman that she has now come to be.
Got to give huge props to both actors Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood because they gave stellar performances in this film. Most especially Carla Gugino, there are scenes where it’s just her in the room by herself acting and I know that is not an easy feat to accomplish but she found a way to give a great performance. After watching this film and taking some time to think about it, I don’t really have gripes with the film at all. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect movie by any chance but there’s definitely no glaring problems with it either. Is it one of the best horror movies out there? Not really, but I also wouldn’t call this a horror movie either, it’s more of a psychological thriller with a nice blend of horror at times, and it works great with this film.
So, in conclusion this was another well-made Stephen King adaptation that I enjoyed. With films like IT, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Misery, Gerald’s Game, and so many more. Makes you wonder what exactly is going on in Stephen King’s mind? One thing is for sure, the guy knows how to tell intriguing stories that will stick with you for a while and I’m looking forward to whoever that next filmmaker is that wants to tackle another story of his. If you’re looking for a good movie to watch on Netflix, then this is the film for you to watch because it is all around just a great well-made film that deserves to be watched. Overall, I’m going to give Gerald’s Game a B.
khalilsmovieblog.wordpress.com 