Gerald's Game (2017) Reviews

• Made with infinite class

  jtindahouse2017-09-30

  I've only read a handful of Stephen King novels, but 'Gerald's Game' just so happens to be one of them. I liked the novel without overly loving it. It had a memorable ending, but the story was a little bland for my liking. I've heard people say it's one of their favourite King novels and also heard people say it's one of their least favourite, so it's clearly quite a polarising novel. I was excited when I heard it was going to be made into a movie though. I almost always enjoy King movie adaptions and was very interesting to see how they went about the ending I spoke of earlier. It is very rare that I enjoy a movie more than the book version (almost to the point that I can't think of a single example before now), but this is almost certainly a case of that. When you think of a movie where the plot involves a woman tied to a bed for almost the entire run time, you would think they would scraping the barrel to reach 90 minutes. Instead they comfortable cruise to 103 minutes and it never really feels that stretched out. All the classic traits of King's work are featured. The well, the eclipse etc. Even the vibe just inexplicably feels like it's directly from his work. Director Mike Flanagan has once again done a fantastic job. He really is becoming a sure sign of a quality film. The whole cast was admittedly excellent, but it would have to be said that Carla Gugino carried the film. I wasn't too sure with her casting whether she was right for the role, but she proved me wrong to have any doubts. It would not have been an easy role, you're effectively being asked to carry the film on your shoulders, but she nailed it. I'm really glad this turned out so well. It's a smart, thought-provoking and moving story of survival that actually works better in film form than it did in book form. It's a great time to be a King fan right now, that's for sure.

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• Contains all the pain and heart of the novel

  dudditslucky72017-09-29

  Ten out of ten. Other viewers can complain all they want about this film being 'tedious' or 'bland', or slightly missing the mark or opportunity, but I strongly disagree. Makes me wonder if they got the true point of the novel, even. Stephen King is NOT a horror writer, so much as he is a writer of characters and extraordinary events that they go through, and most importantly, he writes about the deep emotional experiences that people endure in their lifetimes here on this earth. He tends to throw in dark elements, to be certain, and some of those are downright creepy, frightening, or straight-up horrific; this does not make him a horror writer. And anyone expecting a horror film here will subsequently be disappointed and, I guess, apparently bored. I was not bored, I was riveted the entire time. It's not easy to do what Mike Flanagan does with this adaptation. He nails the mental struggles and fractured psyche of the main character, Jessie, under the strain of what she faces. He also delivers on the heart of King's story, which isn't the present situation she finds herself in as an adult, but rather, dealing with secrets and ghosts from her past that have haunted her all her life, without her truly even knowing 'til her current situation arises. It's a beautiful novel of pain, suffering, secrets, abuse (on multiple levels, by multiple people), and the struggle to not just survive, but also heal and thrive, if possible. Flanagan's film captures the heart of King's story, and it is beautifully rendered, and many scenes are equally visually stunning. I cried at the end of the movie. Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino turn in excellent performances, among the best I've seen from both of them. Henry Thomas is equally and fittingly gross. Very well done. Even younger Jessie, played by Chiara Aurelia, was exacted with nuanced grace and heartbreak. This is just a terrific movie. And I find every scene featuring Carel Struycken to be extremely creepy, so I'm not certain how other reviewers find this movie lacking in creep value. I just can't disagree more. I love this movie, it's instantly and already in my top fifteen, maybe even my top ten favorite films of all time. Well done. I'll be watching this one more than once.

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• Gugino's acting was terrific. The creepiness of isolation and immobilization perfectly captured.

  Fella_shibby2017-11-05

  Saw this recently on a DVD. Having enjoyed Flanagans Occulus n Hush, (yet to c the sequel of Ouija) i was excited to see this. The film which is based on Kings novel is about a couple trying to save their marriage by spending time at a remote house. Thru trailer itself, v come to know that after handcuffing the wife on the bed, the husband suffers a heart attack leaving the wife tied up with no help near at all. 127 hours scenario? To make matters worse, there is a hungry dog on the prowl. The wife later starts hallucinating n she goes thru the mental trauma remembering her dark past.The film succeeded in capturing the creepiness of isolation and immobilization n the growing dread. The good thing about Flanagan is that he can manage to build up tension n suspense in spite of minimum characters n action. Hush was the best example. This movie is more of a psychological survival drama with elements of horror.

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• Successfully captures the feel of a Stephen King

  cjs65472017-09-30

  Stephen King is at times a brilliant writer, and most of his novels give a home-bred 70's vibe. There's the presence of raw indecency and rotten attachments right beside the gore, and this movie is very good at portraying that. I started watching this movie expecting to get bored at some point, because Gerald's Game is an odd pick of a novel to make into a film. A lot of the story revolves around the heroine spending hours alone and restricted. In a book, the writer has the freedom to play around with memories and weave them into the present, but was the director going to be able to do that? The answer is, yes, he is, and he does that very well. Kudos to a thoroughly entertaining experience, whether it was the 80's gore effects, the commendable acting of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald, or the shifts from almost comedic to certainly nauseating scenes. The only thing that bothered me was that the cinematography was a bit dated, and nothing creative. But it doesn't mean that this movie is not worth the watch, and it will be even more enjoyable if you haven't read the book!

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• Gerald's Game was surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined.

  jordanrossreviews2017-10-06

  Gerald's Game was surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined (except one particularly cringe-worthy scene). From a viewer who didn't read the Stephen King novel the film was based upon, I went into the Netflix original prepared to be disturbed. The film doesn't waste time getting you to the meat of the story. From the start Carla Gugino gives an emotionally powerful performance as Jessie – a mentally abused victim struggling to repair a failing marriage - that sets the tone for the rest of the film. The reluctance she shows toward her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) forces you to never sit comfortably as the plot begins to be painted. One of the great strengths of this movie was answering the questions you were going to ask before you asked them. Understanding from the beginning that Jessie was to end up handcuffed to a bed throughout the entirety of the film already had me questioning her inability to escape. As soon as you see her situation play out and begin to think of her options, the writers provided answers as to why that isn't possible in a unique and believable fashion. With the multitude of challenges she has to overcome she is forced to relive her disturbing past, which in-turn must help her overcome her shackled state if she is to even have a chance of surviving. The use of symbolism in this film is constant, but so much so that at times it seems to spell it out for you, or literally tell you. I felt the comparisons between her current situation and her past was a bit too blunt. I would've called for a little less hand-holding and a bit more mystery surrounding the connections that were made between the men in her life. Yet one of the most obvious symbols - the blood- red eclipse – was one that surprised me the most as its representation transforms into a powerful message of strength. The anchor for this film was Carla Gugino and her amazingly powerful performance with a great showing from co-star Bruce Greenwood. The dialogue and thought process that unfolded from the two kept me emotionally entwined in the story and eager to find out what would happen next. Along with fantastic performers, Gerald's Game was made better with the subtlety of the soundtrack and cinematography. I was more impressed at the times where there was no music playing at all, which seemed often and was appropriate. It built suspense and kept focus on the current scene when all the viewers were left with was the disturbing sounds of her struggle. The eclipse as mentioned was a favorite of mine. The deep red ring emphasized the horror of events unfolding, yet transformed with the character and began something greater. Even after the movie was finished I found myself thinking over the message that was left for the viewers to contemplate. It was one that I didn't expect and was glad to see at the same time. Gerald's Game was a fantastic physiological thriller that never had me shaking my head in un-believability. I enjoyed the restraint of music in key moments, and was enthralled by the situation presented. This makes two Stephen King adaptations that have nailed the difficult process of transforming a story from a book to film. JordanRoss gives Gerald's Game: 8.1/10

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