Trying to rekindle their marriage, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) and Jessie (Carla Gugino) head to their remote cabin for a getaway. While Gerald dies unexpectedly, Jessie is handcuffed to the bed and must figure out how to get out of the situation.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, Carel Struycken, Kate Siegel
MPAA Rating: N/A but has a TV-MA rating on Netflix
Fun Fact: Based of the novel from Stephen King.
Gerald’s Game is the newest Stephen King adaptation to hit the film market. It’s interesting to see that in the span of two months there has been three different King adaptions on the screen. I have never read the novel but, I have heard that it was on the list of novels that filmmakers wanted to adapt. It has a good pitch to it. Mostly based in a room and only a handful of actors are needed. That gets the studio on board because it’s easy and cheap to make.
After viewing this film, I don’t think it was a cheap production. It’s a thrilling and suspenseful film. The acting of Carla Gugino is fantastic and I hope she gets nominations for her performance. It looked like a tough role to take and she pulls it off. Gugino really must show the audience that she is breaking down and giving up getting out of the role that she’s in. She has this Angel and Devil on her shoulder situation that affects her character. She has two roles to play, Jessie, handcuffed and needs to find a way out while also having to play Jessie a voice of reason and survival. The scenes she’s acting with Bruce Greenwood steal the show. They have a certain chemistry that you want to see in films. Gugino and Greenwood play off each other so well that you need to check out the film to really see it. Greenwood has some chilling lines that he delivers that it makes you feel un-easy. Both are great in this film and it drives the whole film to be enjoyable.
Another great thing about this film is the chilling atmosphere and visuals that surrounds our characters. When you are trapped like the Jessie character what do you do to try and get out of it? The hallucinations start hitting her and her dark past comes to play. There is a small set up scene where the camera goes down a dark hallway to the bed room. The slow build up in the hallway gave me chills and it will want you to see more. Like all my other reviews I don’t like to spoil it for people that haven’t seen the film. Just to let you know there will be visuals that will make you un-easy which is effective film making. You want these types of films to give you unsettlement and to be un-easy. If it isn’t then there is no point of having a thriller. The one thing I will say is that the Moonlight Man is a great effect. It was neat to see Carel Struycken in the role. I didn’t know that he was still taking roles and it was nice to find him in this film. The makeup and the blending of CGI is used well and it looks great.
Overall, Gerald’s Game is a great adaptation of a Stephen King novel. It makes me want to check out the novel now. It has fantastic acting led by Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. You want to see these two together on screen and it drives the film. The visuals and atmosphere have a genuine creepiness to them and it will give you some chills and unsettlement at the same time. If you are a fan of thrillers or Stephen King in general you will enjoy Gerald’s Game.
Verdict: Hit
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